A number of months ago, I was having brunch with two of my cousins. At the end of the meal one of them handed me a book which has since become one of those books I will forever cherish. The book was about being a woman who lived an uncommon life (written by Susie Larson). It has had a tremendous impact on me & I believe it is a tool that every believer should have in their hands to help them along this journey.
This study will highlight many of the things discussed in that book, but from the perspective of an Uncommon Life. Please join me on this journey, and together let’s make an attempt, with Christ as our Strength, to become Uncommon Vessels that He can use for His Glory.
What does it mean to be Uncommon? Glad you asked!
To be uncommon is to be; remarkable, extraordinary, exceptional, singular, significant, special, mind-boggling.
To be a vessel that is uncommon we must leave the status quo and pursue the high road. This road is not a comfortable road, but on it we are given the capacity to view others from a divine perspective.
Lesson 1
John 13:3-4
Bitten by Betrayal
Most of us have had personal encounters with the Bite of Betrayal. We have been wounded deeply by those we should have been able to trust. Those who may have made promises, and those to whom we allowed our hearts to have confidence and to trust. In those moments, we experienced a heartbreak like no other. Our ability to trust was broken and we could not even see a way of rising above the pain that seemed to be invading our very being.
Yet, the moment we look at Jesus, we see that he too experienced the Bite of Betrayal, and his response becomes our example to follow in our moments of deep anguish of soul. Jesus spent three years of his life investing and pouring into his disciples, they were his friends. He loved them, and walked with them daily. They knew the bond of deep, intimate friendship. However, when a test came, Judas made a choice to abandon the friendship & all he knew to be right, for something that was temporal and would pass away. He allowed the wickedness of his own heart to lead him and in doing so, he betrayed the one who loved him immeasurably. It is in that moment that we are given a glimpse of the truly Uncommon Life. Though Bitten and Betrayed……Still, He Served. Still, He washed, He rubbed, and washed the feet of the guilty in His hands…..STILL.…
Isaiah 42:3 – “A bruised reed he will not break…”
This humbles me. I am not so convinced that in my moments of being bitten by betrayal that I would be so willing to….still….serve….still….wash….Yet, if want to be uncommon then I must embrace this example as a pattern for my life that must be applied at a moment like this.
When in a place of brokenness, our carnal responses are self defense & then to devalue the character of the one who has wounded us, but the Uncommon Life chooses a different road.
Could it be possible that we are not only called to rise up out of our places of brokenness and betrayal, but that we are called to love, serve, and see the privilege we have been given as those who have been redeemed?
Could it be that the dirty water in the basin has been ours at some point & someone loved and forgave us?
Could it be that our failure to see our own moments of being the betrayer is a place of deception in our own hearts that we need to face? The Bible tells us that there is none righteous, no not one…..
When we choose the Uncommon Life we are reminded that – “He lifts us up our of the ash heap, cleans us off, and teaches us how to praise Him once again” – Psalm 40:1-5
He teaches us about true grace and forgiveness that brings deeper levels of freedom into our own lives. He teaches us about our own human condition and our desperate need of him. What a Merciful God.
You see, the Uncommon Life recognizes that it has been bought with a price, therefore, it will embrace the call to become more like Christ, even when the price seems high.
Being Uncommon means that we understand who we are because we know Whose we are.
We know where we came from and where we are going because we came from God and we were God’s idea. What freedom.
So, whether bitten by betrayal or being the one who has bitten, we are a people who need to run to Him & humbly accept our desperate need of his loving care.
Comments(4)
Bob Malloy says:
July 26, 2012 at 12:21 pmOnce again like the last Bible study on James, thi couldn’t have come at a better time.
God’s timing is Perfect!
bethelcommunitychurch says:
July 28, 2012 at 1:49 pmBob, I am glad to know that the Lord is using these studies to bless you 🙂 Thanks for letting me know that sometimes feedback is important 🙂
suholmes03 says:
October 3, 2012 at 11:43 pm“I don’t have to look too far inside to be completely humbled by my own need for more of Jesus and less of me.” “To look upon Jesus and ask the question,”What in me needed this to happen?” took courage I didn’t think I possessed.”
Betrayal and disappointment can be fertile ground for either wheat or tares … depending on which crop we water. I can let hurt, fear & pain flourish or reap a harvest of faith, forgiveness & obedience. Neither will grow without being fed. The problem is that the first crop is immediate and its growth is fast. It lingers and it can be felt. It is the kick and slap of the enemy on top of the wounds of a friend … but they remind you that, as miserable as it feels, you are still alive. So we are deceived into holding onto the pain rather than letting go and grasping something that this world can’t offer.
“Even so, I obeyed and I prayed. The more I prayed, the more I realized that this pain — this valley — was lush with fertile soil, ready and waiting for me to plant seeds of faith, forgiveness and obedience. I realized that before was an opportunity for growth, miracles, and a fresh revelation of this Man, Jesus.
The Bible says that He prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies. Even If I had to crawl there, I wanted to eat at that table.”
My desire and prayer for so many years has been to be able to walk with strength again. After looking at this anew, I am learning instead to crawl … desiring to crawl … to that table. It’s time to let go of the wages of disappointment and betrayal … even if it takes doing it 20 times a day. It’s time to let Him reach in and “with a surgeon’s precision” remove whatever offends Him and hinders healing in its truest form. The crawl to that table described in Psalm 23 may sometimes take us through the valley described in Psalm 84: 5-7
“Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
Passing through the Valley of Weeping (Baca), they make it a place of springs; the early rain also fills [the pools] with blessings.
They go from strength to strength [increasing in victorious power]; each of them appears before God in Zion.”
Giving thanks tonight for a lady who presented her cousin with a ‘must read’ book … and for that cousin who then handed a copy to a church full of ladies … and then wasn’t content until she shared it via this on-line study with ‘whosever will’. 🙂
“To be uncommon is to silence the voice of our accuser that we may listen to the Lord’s whisper.” – Susie Larson
And that whisper is … … … :
“for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” – Hebrews 13:5
bethelcommunitychurch says:
October 5, 2012 at 11:58 pmThanks for sharing this Sue. It is a life word. Powerfully true and a deep reminder to the heart to choose the road less travelled 🙂