Jeanne H Barnett's Blog

critical—adj.: 1. of or forming a crisis or turning point; decisive; 2. tending to find fault; censorious; 3. dangerous or risky; causing anxiety; 4. of critics or criticism; 5. of the crisis of a disease

Everywhere you turn, you hear it being said, in one way or another, that we are in dangerous times and many people are very anxious. So much is being said against “America”, against government, against government officials, and about the “moral decline of America”, about the lack of moral fiber in elected officials, about the absence of consistent standards among church leaders that many people are living in fear.

The sad thing about all these “things being said” is that they are general statements which allow the individual making the comment to avoid personal responsibility for the condition being spoken about and, in lamenting and crying aloud, to encourage others to avoid that responsibility as well while they focus on what “others” are doing that is so wrong.

While it is always true that we can see flaws in systems and other people, those flaws exist because of choices made by individuals. Individuals who chose to walk a certain path, individuals who were drawn to certain actions by their priorities, individuals who compromised ever so slightly, individuals who have impacted a nation over a period of time—but, many of those who have had a strong impact are not well-known nor were they politicians or religious leaders—individuals who made a choice on the road of life that led them to be less than God would have had them to be and to cause others around them to be less than God would have had them be—mothers and fathers who produced the individuals and the attitudes living in America today.
The great deceit is that it is not you and I, but the “government”, or “elected officials”, or “a fallen church leader” who has corrupted the environment. Convincing us that it is “others” keeps us from looking too closely at ourselves, from examining too closely our individual lives and choices. It succeeds in transferring responsibility (therefore, the need to make change) from my shoulders to some “others” over whom I have no control and that makes me NOT responsible. It is “their fault” and I must fight against them and their agenda in order to restore “perfection”.

However, there is an important consideration we are overlooking: God deals with individuals and requires accountability from individuals!

Check it out: God’s prophets in the Old Testament came proclaiming the need for individuals to repent so that the nation could be saved from the sure consequences that would come (2 Chronicles 7:13-15, one example of many). God has always held individuals responsible for the state of the nation and indicated judgement of a nation would come based on the behavior of the people (individuals).

Also, it is obvious in scripture that we are to be in subjection to the government, i.e., Romans 13:1, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted. . .”. And, in Daniel 2:20-21, “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them.”

Jesus came to earth during a time of hard oppression for the Jewish people. Rome was not an easy taskmaster and there were many zealots who worked for the destruction of that government. Yet, Jesus did not spend His time criticizing Rome nor did He encourage others to be disobedient to the laws of the land. Not once can I find that Jesus recommended that the people rise up and “fix the government” that was blatantly oppressive and evil. He did, however, criticize the Pharisees (the religious leaders of the day) for their lack of spiritual depth and that, I believe, is what He would criticize us for today. What we need to “fix” is us—and this can only happen when we allow God to conform us to the image of His Son, Christ Jesus (Romans 8:29). It can only happen when our focus becomes Jesus and our energies are directed toward knowing God and His word: “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). I believe this occurs when we follow the admonition in Hebrews 12:2— ”fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith”. Focus on Jesus, who during His life on earth instructed people to focus on God and His kingdom, not the kingdoms of this world.

So our battle is not with “others” or the “government”, it is with ourselves. It is me, it is you! Our fingers should not point any further than our own standards, behavior and choices. Examine, if you dare, your own “entertainment”: does it cause you to be a better person, does it lead you to think of God or His ways, does it help mold you into the image of Christ Jesus, would you be comfortable if Jesus were sitting next to you? If not, why are you participating in it? Have you been deceived into believing that there are areas of your life in which God is not interested? Have you been blinded by the god of this world? (Check out the parable of the sower for some valuable insights.)

Reality check:
If you thought you would not get caught— would you cheat
[= steal] on your income tax? (justification is easy . . . the government has plenty of money and I work hard for what I earn and anyway they don’t use it the way it should be used); would you take merchandise home from a store without paying for it? (you know, the scanner fails to accurately scan an item and you just don’t mention it; rationalization follows . . . after all, I’ve bought plenty in there and they make a profit on the other stuff; this is just my discount); of course, if an “overcharge” occurs, it must be corrected and we are quick to point it out (talk about double standard)!

What choices have you made that show you to be a “Christian”—a follower of Christ? Is the standard you require of others at work in your life? Check out Romans 2:21-24, “you who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’”

It is my belief that the greatest enemy of reform and lasting change is the same enemy that was identified in the account of the first fall of man from perfection—satan, the father of lies, the great deceiver. It is he who assists us in our headlong plunge into destruction. It is he who offers us thoughts to help justify what we do and condemn what “others” do—he is the “accuser of the brethren” and he is constantly looking for recruits! “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls.” (Romans 14:4)

Paul said it very clearly in Philippians 2:14, “Do everything without complaining or arguing”. That doesn’t leave room for most of what is being said today. Another clear admonition by Paul is in Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” It doesn’t seem to me that we are doing very much “building up” with our conversation.

What kind of an influence are the Christians of America exerting that would cause others to “put on the mind of Christ”? Where are the energies of Christians directed?
Are we “seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” so that God’s purposes will be served or are we determined to walk according to our own will and what we have decided is best? Are we shining a light in the darkness, are we allowing God’s love to flow through us?

So, America may indeed be in a “critical phase”, dangerous or risky; but, if that is true, it is because you and I are in a “critical phase”, tending to find fault constantly. We have assumed the position of “accusers” when we should be assuming the position of falling on our faces before God and humbly asking for His wisdom to guide our lives.

Time spent in God’s word and
in His presence will result in changed hearts in individuals and and that is what will result in
a changed America!

“It is time for judgment
to begin with
the family of God . . .”
I Peter 4:17

—thoughts written in 1996—by the grace of God ~ October 1996

Interesting . . . that was my take away from a recent discussion I participated in on Facebook.

This season, unfortunately, brings out more intense, emotionally-charged comments which often seem rude and offensive and “discussions” often leave me wishing I had not participated because of the negativity and lack of respect shown for others.

However, the most interesting thoughts I had after the most recent exchange were not related to the subject of the discussion . . . which, of course, was political—
• it surprised me how much the comments gave me insight into the person’s relationship with God and what he/she thought God was like
• it gave a pretty clear picture of the level of “trust in God” versus “self sufficiency” and how that would play out in the person’s view of the world we live in
• it gave a measure of how separate the person’s political/secular world was from his/her “God”
• it would seem that the motive for the comment could determine the emotional involvement (of course, personality would be a part of this as well)–but, posting to share an opinion with the idea of exploring other’s ideas would be different than one posting with the idea of trying to change another’s opinion (changing another’s opinion, realistically, is unlikely)

I am sure a person skilled in human behavior analysis would be able to draw some interesting insights about each person based solely on the comments.

Most of those involved in the discussion were strangers to me so I have no way of knowing if my “insights” were accurate or not but, at the very least, they were interesting
AND
it made me stop to think about what my comments said about me and whether or not my comments would reflect what I believe and Who I believe in . . . interesting!!!

My heart feels such a strong yearning for union with God that it is an actual stirring in the heart within my chest, a physical response mirroring my spirit’s deep longing . . .

I am drawn to the description of the Quaker approach
to worship:
   ‘WORSHIP, according to the ancient practice of the Religious Society of Friends, is entirely without any human direction or supervision. A group of devout persons come together and sit down quietly with no prearrangement, each seeking to have an immediate sense of divine leading and to know at first hand the presense of the Living Christ. It is not wholly accurate to say that such a Meeting is held on the basis of Silence; it is more accurate to say that it is held on the basis of ‘Holy Obedience.’ Those who enter such a Meeting can harm in two specific ways: first, by an advance determination to speak; and second, by advance determination to keep silent. The only way in which a worshipper can help such a Meeting is by an advance determination to try to be responsive in listening to the still small voice and doing whatever may be commanded. Such a Meeting is always a high venture of Faith and it is to this venture we invite you this hour.”

(The People Called Quakers, D. Elton Trueblood ©1966, Harper and Row edition 1966, Friends United Press edition, 1971)

To feel neither the constraint of not speaking nor the pressure of having to speak . . . it seems my human nature is not comfortable with “undefined time” and I tend to feel the need to schedule and have itineraries and know there is some person responsible for the flow of the time we spend together.

To be still and to allow that stillness to permeate my being . . . to fix the eyes of my heart on Jesus . . . to quell the activity of my mind . . . to hold without anxiety to my listening heart . . . to allow trust in God to flow as peace in me . . . to be open to an expression of that God presence, verbal or not . . . to allow the discomfort of total surrender to be washed away into that unfathomable depth that is God who draws me and longs for
relationship with me . . . amazing and totally unimaginable!

Recently I was discussing a “political” post on facebook with a friend of mine and a man (a stranger to me) inserted himself into our discussion and ended it by saying “STOP” and in a second post gave his motive as “debating theories and or perspectives should not be conducted in such that, it could confuse or halt young beginning Believers.”

I am VERY concerned about this stranger’s stated motive—not discussing hard issues young Believers might observe—it is my opinion that faith that is not tested or questioned is not a faith that can stand during hard times. I believe open discussions of hard issues should take place as long as the participants are respectful of each other. I believe that each of us go through many “tests of faith” in our lifetime and not examining why we believe what we believe or Who is the God we say we believe in is what will leave us stripped of the strength needed to walk daily through the trials and tribulations.

When I was growing up (LOTS of years ago), I was taught that it was the right thing to do to “search the Scriptures” to see if what I was being told lined up with the Word of God or to talk with an older believer about questions. However, as I reached upper teen years and into my twenties, there seemed to be a change in the way the Church taught and it became “bad” to question what you were told by the leadership and to search it out for yourself.

This is a major concern to me about this man’s statement because I believe young Believers should be encouraged to explore their “faith” searching the Scriptures for the Truth, seeking God’s Way through the world we live in, knowing that every situation we face is known to God and His promise is to never leave us nor forsake us AND to guide us—not to mention that we are told to “try the spirits” to see if they be from God. None of this is possible if we are not having the difficult discussions openly and allowing questions to be asked and answered and differing perspectives explored.

Not teaching “young believers” to question what they are told, to explore why they believe what they believe, to examine differing beliefs under the Light of God’s Word leaves them unequipped to face the darkness in our world and there are those who distort God’s Truth for their own reasons.

Each of us who claim to be “followers of God” should be confident coming into His throne room and saying, “Father, I don’t understand, please give me wisdom.” or even “Oh, God, I am so confused, guide me.” It should always be the Word of God that directs my steps, not my blind allegience to some leader, either secular or spiritual. Often, someone else’s experience can help me see an issue in a less biased way which is one reason we need each other and we need open exchanges of opinions–light always overcomes darkness SO bringing issues into the “light” of respectful, open exchanges of thoughts and questions removes the power of “darkness” to deceive.

Just for context: I do not claim to be able to read anyone’s heart, so I do not judge this man, but I have some problems with the rudeness and inappropriateness of stepping into a discussion you are not a part of and telling those involved that they cannot be involved in it either. Note: neither my friend nor I were being disrespectful to one another or doing any name calling, etc., this was really a discussion where we were sharing opinions as opinions and I was looking forward to hearing his thoughts and why he viewed it the way he did, but this stranger broke in after I had shared my perspective so I never got to hear the “reasons” behind my friend’s thoughts . . . sad.

Each day is filled with measurable units of time . . . 24 hours, each hour filled with 60 minutes; 1,440 minutes, each minute filled with 60 seconds, and I have come to realize that each of those time periods is filled with moments. It is the moments I recall more often than the hours or days and I am just beginning to become aware of how important it is to pay attention to the moments in each day.

I came across some pictures I took November 22, 2012, at Lockwood Park in Newport, Arkansas, and it really illustrated the impact of choosing what to pay attention to in the collection of what I saw that day, thoughts that came to me as I reviewed the images, and the realization that I miss SO much as I go through a day!

This brought me to the thought that Life should be a story of moments . . . it’s all about perspective—-how you see each moment as you slow down and pause each moment, explore each moment, and live each moment fully, it will impact you differently than the usual rushed “fly-by” moments—-perspective gained through choices made . . . moment by moment

I was in a store with my parents this week and the clerk was extremely rude! We had put all of our purchases in one basket, but at the checkout, I pulled mine out first and left the items mom and dad were going to pay for in the basket. The clerk started by demanding that we bring the basket up to her and when I tried to explain that the items left in the buggy were to be paid for separately—her response: she started slamming items around and muttering under her breath. There followed more criticism and strong, angrily spoken words regarding the ID. My mom has trouble dealing with negative talk and I could tell she and I were both getting irritated by this clerk.

I stepped up beside the clerk and spoke VERY firmly . . . “I’m sorry you’re having such a BAD day!” My attitude was not right, I can assure you. I stepped back and helped move some of mom and dad’s things from  their basket and then walked forward to stand by my basket at the end of the checkout. As the clerk finished ringing up mom and dad’s items, she stepped toward me and I figured I was now going to get some more rudeness; however, instead she apologized!!! She said she was sorry that she had taken out on us her anger with her employer who was asking her to stay and work extra hours, but was then cutting her total hours overall until she would have trouble paying her bills and she resented the way they were using her. I responded that I was sorry for her situation and she told me she appreciated that I had just spoken to her and had not verbally abused her as many had in her 8 years of working there and she expressed that she did not  feel that she got any respect.

As I left that store, I knew God had given me a great parable . . . even though my words were not spoken to her with the right attitude, in fact, I was actually trying to let her know how rude she was (I guess that makes sense, huh? Be rude to her so she would recognize her own rudeness??? Yeah, right!) I was convicted that God had blessed that clerk through me in spite of me = He was faithful even when I wasn’t!

I pray that in the future I will remember this incident and respond to someone I think is being rude to me with the mind of Christ–realizing that the person is probably going through some tough time and the odds are that I would not react any better if I were going through the same situation. Do unto others as I would have them do unto me . . . feel compassion when I see another acting bad . . . allow God to flow His Love through me without judgment.

October 2010

Friday—October 23, 2015 My thoughts

ANGER

In my opinion, anger is about “control” and control is about protecting “ownership.” However, not all situations are the same and each must be looked at and an appropriate response formulated. These are just some examples from my own life and, obviously, there are those instances when “my solutions” might not be the right response. Also, none of these are life-threatening or potentially physically-harming situations—those are a whole different ballgame.

Stranger/Public: I can remember becoming VERY angry at someone who was not driving in a safe way and could have caused harm to me—but, I could not control that person or change his/her behavior.

Acquaintance/Work: I can remember becoming VERY angry some years ago at a young lady who came into my work environment repeatedly and took over in a number of areas that I was responsible for—but, I could not control that person or change her behavior.

Family/Private-Public: I can remember becoming VERY angry in some family situations where one person pushed her selfish agenda ahead of considerations for and respect for other family members—but, I could not control that person or change her behavior.
—

There are many examples of my feeling angry, but the above kind of give some insight into the main pieces of my “angry pie”—someone in some situation I cannot control. Whether it is a total stranger, an acquaintance, or a family member, the common thread is “control” and the resulting frustration at not being able to “fix” the situation, so I bite into the “angry pie” again and again.

Currently, in the driving scene, you know you can’t try to fix it or express your frustration because the other person may have a gun and might use it.
My solution: I carry an “anger animal,” a small stuffed animal that I can pick up, shake hard and shout at without anyone being the wiser because I hold it in the hand on my center console so it can’t be seen. When I have finished my angry tirade, the cuteness of the animal overrides my negative emotions and I usually tell the”anger animal” that I’m sorry for letting my emotions get out of control . . . ah, much better, breathe, maybe laugh!

In the work scene, I finally stopped to ask myself some difficult questions . . . why was I trying to “protect” my projects? why was she inserting herself into that position?
My solution: “let go” and trust that God would continue to provide for me and consider that perhaps she was so insecure/unfulfilled, she felt she had to force her way in because she envied me and/or my situation.

In the family scene, the most difficult in my opinion, I spent many hours resenting the impact of this person’s choices including putting herself “up front” displacing and disrespecting older family members and “competing” with their contributions over the years, ultimately destroying the basic family – no relationships are the same and we only have memories of past fun times as a “family.”
My solution: I know it may sound like a cliche, but PRAYER was the only thing that brought me to a place where I could “forgive” this person and eventually change my focus to:
–I can trust that God can and will work in ALL things for my good,
–God’s plans often take years and work in ways I cannot understand, –God’s ways are always intended to result in benefits to ALL
I cannot possibly assess howw God has worked in this person’s heart over the years, but I can assess the positive impact in my own heart of releasing this to God and trusting His Love, wisdom, and power resulting in my peace.

SUMMARY: My anger arises most strongly when I feel the need to “protect” and when I feel unable to “control” another.

My most successful solution has been to turn my focus to examining my own heart (why am I so upset?) and looking at possible “excuses” for the behavior of the other person (what is missing in his/her life?) and then getting back to the basic Truth that God has promised to provide ALL I need and to protect me . . .

When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can mere man do to me?
(Psalm 56:3-4)
AND
reading the story of Joseph always helps me refocus on WHO is in charge and how HIS plans are amazing as they unfold
(Genesis 45:1-8)
My final solution: Trust God
“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
(Psalm 37:7-8)

ANGER MANAGEMENT:
And my God
will supply all your needs
according to His riches
in glory in Christ Jesus.
Now to our God and Father
be the glory forever and ever.
Amen. (Philippians 4:19-20)

Many TV shows I’ve watched lately have a lot in common: home remodeling, income properties, hoarders, organizing clutter . . . first identify and clear out the old that needs to be removed and then go forward and build!

Examine everything to determine

• what should go in the “trash” bin,

• what should go in the “keep” bin,

• what should go in the “share” bin . . .

Somehow that sounds like a good process . . . starting with the old tapes in my head—

see what needs to be removed, kept, shared, and then go forward!

Jeanne Hicks Barnett thoughts — November 1, 2014

You will make known to me the path of life . . . Psalm 16:11

Just listened to a song titled “Brave” that said “I wanna see you be brave” and “Say what you wanna say, And let the words fall out.” While I understand the need to sometimes encourage others to not let circumstances overwhelm them. . . the song seems to promote a theme which I hear a lot—an emphasis on SELF-sufficiency (taking care of yourself), and I heard NO hint of depending on God as the source of the strength you need to be brave leaving the listener to conclude the strength to be brave comes from himself/herself.
—We humans are good at making “to DO lists” and we forget that what we need are “to BE lists” knowing that God is the one who completes that list: “For I am confident of this very thing, that HE who began a good work in you will perfect it” (Philippians 1:6)—music is a powerful teaching tool and we should be careful about the message we take in as we listen to and even repeat the lyrics.
—Psalm 96 says “ascribe TO THE LORD” glory, strength, the glory of His name, and to worship and tremble before THE LORD. Jeremiah 17 says “cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength.” Our world constantly pushes us to SELF promote and to depend on ourselves for answers, but God’s Word says just the opposite, i.e., “Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which HE will accomplish for you today” (Exodus 14:13 at the dividing of the sea), “you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is HE who is giving you power to make wealth” (Deuteronomy 8:18 before entering “promised land”), “You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of THE LORD on your behalf” (2 Chronicles 20:16 answer to Jehoshaphat’s Prayer) & “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting” (John 18:35 Jesus re his crucifixion). Maybe I’m being a little picky, but I want to be very careful about planting thoughts in my heart that I should attribute to my SELF what should be attributed to God because my flesh always wants me to “displace” God (Genesis 3:5), pride trying to sneak in, sounds like me . . . me . . . me—-or like my 2-year-old self sounded.