Judy A Knox

Dewdrops of Grace

I Want to Be Fat!

I want to be fat! You’re probably surprised to hear me say this if you know me at all. In my adult years I’ve probably been on one diet or another more of the time than not, and am still seeking the right balance in my life regarding food and exercise. I do not enjoy being overweight.

However, in my spiritual life I want to be F-A-T: Faithful, Available, and Teachable. This acronym has apparently been in use for a long time, but I never heard it till a friend shared it with me recently. God can use a person who is this kind of FAT to accomplish His Kingdom purposes.

Faithful: The dictionary defines faithful as “constant, stable, dependable, and steadfast.” One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 37:3-4. In the NASB it reads, “Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness; Delight yourself also in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit. I believe when we’re born again we receive this fruit in seed form. As we grow in the Lord, the fruit develops in us. We’re not born naturally faithful, but as with all the fruit of the Spirit, faithfulness is in us, and it’s our responsibility to cultivate it—water, nourish, and protect it.

Available: I’ve heard people say that God is not looking for ability, but availability. When we make ourselves available to God, He gives us the ability to do what He’s called us to do. Many times the person most able to do a job is not available when needed, so God will use and empower someone else. 1Peter 3:15 admonishes us to “be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us.” To be available, and ready, we must continually monitor our use of time to be sure we’re not too busy with things either God hasn’t called us to do, or whose seasons have passed. Pulling out weeds is an important part of cultivating.

Teachable: Many believers are faithful and available, but God still can’t use them as effectively as he wants to because they’re not teachable. 1Corinthians 8:2 tells us, “If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.” This may seem discouraging, but it’s really just saying there is always more to know. Reading and meditating on the Word of God is like peeling back layers of an onion and never reaching the center. To be truly usable we must keep our hearts and minds open, and pray for the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17). By allowing new wisdom and revelation to refresh the knowledge we already have, we enable ourselves to grow and flourish.

I’ve found that an “I already know that” attitude can sometimes keep me from hearing what God is trying to teach me in the current moment or situation. Assuming we already know is arrogance. Amazingly, we can learn from people who know less than we do. If we reject the message because we think we know more than the messenger does, we might miss out on something important that God is trying to show us. In other words, no matter how available the other person may be, in order to receive, we must be teachable.

In the food realm, there are “good fats” and “bad fats.” In the spiritual realm, this is also true. The bad kind of fat is: Flaky, Arrogant, and Too busy. I don’t want that attitude. I don’t want to be that kind of fat. So, I praise God that according to Philippians 1:6 He is at work in me, helping me become His kind of FAT: Faithful, Available, and Teachable.

Fish Out of Water

A little fish came to the wise old big fish with a question that was troubling him. ”Okay,” he said, ”I understand sand. I can see it below me. I know about rocks, and how to hide among them. And I know what plants are. But where’s this ocean everybody’s always talking about?”

Because the fish was in the ocean, and a part of it, he had no awareness of the water in and around him. I remember being surprised at the stillness around me the first time I went up in a hot air balloon. There was a breeze – there had to be, or we wouldn’t have been able to move sideways. Yet there was no sensation of air moving around us. Like the fish not being able to sense the water, we had become one with the moving air.

If that little fish had somehow managed to jump out of the water, he would very quickly have recognized what he was missing. He would not survive very long out of his native element. He was created to breathe underwater.

Do you ever have days, or longer periods of time, where you feel like a fish out of water, gasping to catch your spiritual breath? This happens to me when I miss my quality time with God in the morning. Oh, I may spend time “in the chair,” but I realize my thoughts haven’t been focused on God. My attitude is “off.” I feel out of touch. Things I usually enjoy have become a struggle.

I know God’s presence hasn’t left me. He has promised He will never leave me or forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). He is the same yesterday today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Though I know this, I feel unable to perceive His presence. I’m like that little fish: where is this presence of God everyone is talking about?

Of course, recognizing there’s a problem is the first step in solving it, so once I realize I’m not experiencing the fullness of joy that comes with really being present with Him (Psalm 16:11), the next step is to readjust my thinking. I talk to God about my bouncing thoughts. I compel myself to focus by reading the Bible out loud instead of to myself. I make sure to take moments throughout the day to realign my thoughts with the Word of God. Sometimes I stick post-it notes with verses where I’ll be sure to see them.

When I’m trying to focus on God, distracting thoughts are almost certain to intrude. They may be good thoughts, useful thoughts, reminders of things I need to do, or even ideas for writing topics. But at the moment they’re distractions. Instead of worrying that I’ll forget them, I jot them down to take care of later and get right back to focusing on God.

How comforting to find myself once again swimming freely through my activities, enjoying each thing as I do it. I love the assurance that God’s goodness and mercy are following me (Psalm 23:6), and I am right where he wants me to be – “back in the water.”

 

Judy Recommends:

The Cranberry Papermaker

Click on book cover to see on Amazon.

Judy Recommends:

Eternal Deception

Click on book cover to see on Amazon.

Judy Recommends:

The Matchmaker's Match

Click on book cover to see on Amazon.