"She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” -Genesis 16:13
Do you ever feel unnoticed at Christmas...
When you search for hours for a gift for someone that gets opened, glanced at, and tossed aside…never one simple "thank you"?
When you see so many spending quality time with family and you have a family member that you miss with every aching breath?
When you spend days shopping for and cooking a meal that draws complaints because this person wanted this, that person wanted that, and none of "this" or "that" is found on the table?
When everyone around you seems to be crazy with merriment and you feel just plain crazy from the stress of the season and life in general?
When you so desire to feel the "joy to the world", "peace on earth", "goodwill toward men", but there is a situation, maybe many situations, causing you so much heartache that those feelings that the songs describe feel nothing short of impossible?
It is so easy to feel unnoticed, unappreciated, unloved in ways both tiny and enormous at Christmastime …scratch that…at ANY time. Somehow the Christmas season can make those feelings bigger than any crowd at the mall, over-the-top lights display, or tree at Rockefeller Center.
How grateful I am that when humans in their imperfect ways forget or choose not to notice us…our efforts, our triumphs, our failures, our pain…our perfect God never takes His eyes off of His children. He knows all. He sees all. He notices all.
There is no better example of this than that very first Christmas that we have all heard so much about.
God noticed Mary. She most likely was not Prom Queen of Bethlehem High School. Her clothes probably were not the finest money could buy. Though she was extraordinarily beautiful inside, we have no account in scripture of what she looked like. But God noticed her and chose her for a task that would bless her, challenge her, and change her in ways she could never fathom.
God noticed Joseph. You would think God would have chosen an earthly king to be the earthly father of the Prince of Peace. But He noticed Joseph, a carpenter with more faith, obedience, and love than any amount of riches, and chose him for a task that would require more heart and humility than human wealth could buy.
God noticed the shepherds. The hard-working guys, men who were not afraid to get their hands dirty, not wealthy but earning an honest living. God noticed them tending their sheep and sent an angel of the Lord to announce that the Lamb of God had been born.
God noticed the magi. Men who were wealthy and powerful, as well as wise and prayerful. You can be poor with no social standing to speak of, rich with more money and influence than you know what to do with, or anywhere in between, and God can and will use you if you allow Him to do so. These men knew where the true power in the world lay, and they laid their riches at His feet.
God noticed King Herod. What??? You mean that villain of the story who plotted to murder the Savior whose birth we rejoice over? Yep, him. God saw Herod and his evil plan. Jesus was meant to die for our sins, but there was no way it was happening before God divined it to come to pass. God notices us whether we are submitting to His will or scheming to interfere with it.
You know what I love about this? All of these people that God noticed, they noticed Him too. Granted some had angels in their bedrooms and offices at work to help them pay attention, they did not turn away from what was revealed to them. Even Herod, who did not notice God and His plan for the amazing blessing they are and worked against them, realized that there was a monumental power at work around him.
So here are my questions for us all, not only during Christmastime, but then too:
1) Will we remember that our God notices us? That He sees our pain, cares about our efforts, and wants to walk us through the good, the bad, and the ugly of this life?
2) Will we notice Him? Will we praise Him for who He is and all that He does? Will we spend time with Him in prayer, in worship, in the reading of His Word? Will we look into His heart and marvel at the unlimited grace, mercy, strength, wisdom, peace, and love to be found there?
3) Will we notice other people? The ones who are hurting, lonely, unappreciated, looked-over, in need? The ones like us, not like us, the ones we don't like? Will we see them as God sees them and seek to meet their needs however we can?
Let's take notice, friends. Because it is nothing short of amazing how He notices us. Just like He saw the residents of Bethlehem that night so long ago, He still sees us. The poor, the rich, the faithless, the faithful, the world in need of a Savior.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for noticing us. Please help us to remember to notice You this season and every season of life. May we also notice a hurting world around us that is in desperate need of You and be faithful to take You to them however we can. Thank you for Jesus, for the manger, for the cross, for the empty grave, and for His residence in our hearts. We love you, Lord. In Jesus's name I pray, Amen!
Monday, December 23, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
When You're Sick and Tired of Trying To Do Good…
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." -Galatians 6:9
Some verses in the Bible I read and wonder why God chose to include those words in His magnificent Love Letter/Instruction Manual/Sword/Lamp/Best Book Ever Written a.k.a the Bible. It is not that I doubt His sovereignty or supreme knowledge; I just either do not understand the verse or do not grasp its significance in my life at that time. The above verse is in NO way one of those verses. I do not have to ask the Lord about His reasoning in including this scripture in His Word and await His faithful response. If you are anything like me, you know the answer and do not have to tie up the God-lines with that question either: Galatians 6:9 is there to encourage us not to give up, because it is often monstrously easy to want to do so!
I don't know about you, but I frequently become sick and tired (my version of "weary") of not only doing good, but trying to do good. My intention is not to shock or offend anyone with that statement, but I feel I need to be honest about my struggles in order to grow in Christ myself and hopefully help others to as well. Some of that sick and tired comes from the times we live in, some from lack of spiritual maturity, some from good ol' impatience, some from listening to the devil's Chatty Cathy self too much, some from stressful situations…you get the idea.
Like those times when….
-There is near constant conflict with someone I know despite my best efforts to pray about it, respond to them in a godly way, and tip-toe around the land mines of drama they lay out.
-I get avalanche-style reports of bad news on top of bad news on top of bad news.
-A situation I have prayed about for years seems no closer to being resolved than when I started praying about it.
-Something seems to go wrong with everything I touch in the same 24 hours.
(Disclaimer: I make no claim to being nice all the time, holy half of the time, or perfect anytime. The above examples are simply some of my own personal triggers for weariness. Everyone has their own, and it is quite possible that I am part of someone else's, though I hope not.)
Those are some of the times when I become not only weary, but reach the level red danger zone of giving up. And no one is more excited by that or spurred on by that than Satan himself. So he shows up for a chat…usually when I am at my most tired, my most frustrated…the point where I can almost physically feel my brain bursting with the thoughts that are threatening to head south and out of my mouth. He chimes in with something like, "Why are you wasting your time trying to do good or be good? Where is that getting you? That person still doesn't like you, the bad news is still coming, that situation is still unresolved, and you are still messing up so much. You are not doing any good, and you certainly are not being good. Remember what you said yesterday? Remember what you thought about this situation last night? Would a "good" person say or think that? Why don't you just give up on all that praying, Bible, Jesus stuff? It's so much easier than what you're doing….and it's not like your situation could get much worse anyway."
Oh, he is good at his job alright…LYING. Spinning half-truths into whole lies. "Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible" gives this explanation of the word "weary" in Galatians 6:9: "to be (bad or) weak, i.e. (by implication) to fail (in heart):--faint, be weary." That is exactly the theme running through my example of a Satan-speech above: "You are weak. You have failed in heart. Give up this doing good business, and be bad for a while…or at least kick back and be lazy."
(Note: Please do not misunderstand my quotations of the verse's words "doing good" or use of my own like "being good". This is not about trying to be a "good little boy or girl" or works of the flesh or any of that jazz apart from Christ that gets us nowhere even when we have nothing but the best intentions about it. This is about seeking to do good for God and His Kingdom through His power, according to His instruction, and with bucket loads of His guidance and help.)
Just when the devil has me almost ready to bench my Bible, retire my praying knees, and sit out every game God calls me to play in, I remember something (by God's reminder, not coincidence). There have been times when I became weary and gave up (however temporarily), times when I did quit trying to do good and did my share of bad. Get this: AND THOSE TIMES WERE NOT EASY. Life did not magically turn into a Kay's Jewelry commercial where problems do not exist and diamonds are the size of your fist. In fact, I was quite miserable without the closeness to God I enjoyed when I was seeking to do His will, however imperfectly, and the blessings and anointing that came from it.
So, there, Satan. Doing good IS tough. It IS something that requires patience, endurance, and Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. It IS often easy to want to give up on. BUT IT IS WORTH IT. And God Himself through the words of the apostle Paul says that "…at the proper time we WILL reap a harvest if we do not give up." So, I won't…not permanently. You may succeed in convincing me to momentarily at times, but I have read the Book, and I know Who wins in the end. I am on His side, weary or not.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You for the reminder in Your Word not to grow weary in doing good, the encouragement not to give up. Thank You for knowing how hard it is to follow that advice and loving us even when we get it wrong. Please strengthen us against growing weary and giving up. Help us to draw close to You for encouragement, refreshment of spirit, endurance to keep on fighting the good fight. Thank You that You supply all of our needs, and we need not worry about how to defeat the devil and his tactics of lies, discouragement, and defeat. You have given us the tools for victory in Jesus; help us to use them, oh, Lord, In Jesus's name I pray, Amen
Some verses in the Bible I read and wonder why God chose to include those words in His magnificent Love Letter/Instruction Manual/Sword/Lamp/Best Book Ever Written a.k.a the Bible. It is not that I doubt His sovereignty or supreme knowledge; I just either do not understand the verse or do not grasp its significance in my life at that time. The above verse is in NO way one of those verses. I do not have to ask the Lord about His reasoning in including this scripture in His Word and await His faithful response. If you are anything like me, you know the answer and do not have to tie up the God-lines with that question either: Galatians 6:9 is there to encourage us not to give up, because it is often monstrously easy to want to do so!
I don't know about you, but I frequently become sick and tired (my version of "weary") of not only doing good, but trying to do good. My intention is not to shock or offend anyone with that statement, but I feel I need to be honest about my struggles in order to grow in Christ myself and hopefully help others to as well. Some of that sick and tired comes from the times we live in, some from lack of spiritual maturity, some from good ol' impatience, some from listening to the devil's Chatty Cathy self too much, some from stressful situations…you get the idea.
Like those times when….
-There is near constant conflict with someone I know despite my best efforts to pray about it, respond to them in a godly way, and tip-toe around the land mines of drama they lay out.
-I get avalanche-style reports of bad news on top of bad news on top of bad news.
-A situation I have prayed about for years seems no closer to being resolved than when I started praying about it.
-Something seems to go wrong with everything I touch in the same 24 hours.
(Disclaimer: I make no claim to being nice all the time, holy half of the time, or perfect anytime. The above examples are simply some of my own personal triggers for weariness. Everyone has their own, and it is quite possible that I am part of someone else's, though I hope not.)
Those are some of the times when I become not only weary, but reach the level red danger zone of giving up. And no one is more excited by that or spurred on by that than Satan himself. So he shows up for a chat…usually when I am at my most tired, my most frustrated…the point where I can almost physically feel my brain bursting with the thoughts that are threatening to head south and out of my mouth. He chimes in with something like, "Why are you wasting your time trying to do good or be good? Where is that getting you? That person still doesn't like you, the bad news is still coming, that situation is still unresolved, and you are still messing up so much. You are not doing any good, and you certainly are not being good. Remember what you said yesterday? Remember what you thought about this situation last night? Would a "good" person say or think that? Why don't you just give up on all that praying, Bible, Jesus stuff? It's so much easier than what you're doing….and it's not like your situation could get much worse anyway."
Oh, he is good at his job alright…LYING. Spinning half-truths into whole lies. "Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible" gives this explanation of the word "weary" in Galatians 6:9: "to be (bad or) weak, i.e. (by implication) to fail (in heart):--faint, be weary." That is exactly the theme running through my example of a Satan-speech above: "You are weak. You have failed in heart. Give up this doing good business, and be bad for a while…or at least kick back and be lazy."
(Note: Please do not misunderstand my quotations of the verse's words "doing good" or use of my own like "being good". This is not about trying to be a "good little boy or girl" or works of the flesh or any of that jazz apart from Christ that gets us nowhere even when we have nothing but the best intentions about it. This is about seeking to do good for God and His Kingdom through His power, according to His instruction, and with bucket loads of His guidance and help.)
Just when the devil has me almost ready to bench my Bible, retire my praying knees, and sit out every game God calls me to play in, I remember something (by God's reminder, not coincidence). There have been times when I became weary and gave up (however temporarily), times when I did quit trying to do good and did my share of bad. Get this: AND THOSE TIMES WERE NOT EASY. Life did not magically turn into a Kay's Jewelry commercial where problems do not exist and diamonds are the size of your fist. In fact, I was quite miserable without the closeness to God I enjoyed when I was seeking to do His will, however imperfectly, and the blessings and anointing that came from it.
So, there, Satan. Doing good IS tough. It IS something that requires patience, endurance, and Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. It IS often easy to want to give up on. BUT IT IS WORTH IT. And God Himself through the words of the apostle Paul says that "…at the proper time we WILL reap a harvest if we do not give up." So, I won't…not permanently. You may succeed in convincing me to momentarily at times, but I have read the Book, and I know Who wins in the end. I am on His side, weary or not.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You for the reminder in Your Word not to grow weary in doing good, the encouragement not to give up. Thank You for knowing how hard it is to follow that advice and loving us even when we get it wrong. Please strengthen us against growing weary and giving up. Help us to draw close to You for encouragement, refreshment of spirit, endurance to keep on fighting the good fight. Thank You that You supply all of our needs, and we need not worry about how to defeat the devil and his tactics of lies, discouragement, and defeat. You have given us the tools for victory in Jesus; help us to use them, oh, Lord, In Jesus's name I pray, Amen
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Stinkin' Awesome
Do you remember experiencing the Christmas season as a child? Barring amnesia, I am quite certain that, like me, you do. It is also reasonable to assume that, with a few exceptions, it was stinkin' awesome (yes, "stinkin'" means something quite different from "stinking"…or at least it does to this Southern gal)! Back then Christmas was an all-consuming season of eager anticipation of presents, joyously belting out Christmas carols and hymns that celebrate Jesus's birth, enduring embarrassing church programs (for me anyway ;)), peacefully sleeping during silent nights (excluding Christmas Eve, of course), accepting gifts freely, and, in general, observing the joy of the season with awe. Stinkin' awesome, right?
Recently, I have been in awe to discover that the mentality of a child at Christmastime mirrors in many ways the manner in which God would have His children approach life. Not life in December…but life every month of the year, every day of the month, every hour of the day, every minute of the hour…LIFE with God. How He desires to mold our lives into something stinkin' awesome for Him, and how often we easily discard the glorious free gifts He offers in favor of expensive lessons that we do not have to buy for ourselves.
Let's break it down line by line…
(Confession in advance-I struggle with each one of these personally, so every "we", "us", "our", etc. most definitely includes me, too)
"eager anticipation of presents"- Do we expect God to come through for us? To help us? To bless us? To carry us across the stormy waters and through the blazing infernos? Or do we dreadfully look ahead to the worst that is "bound to happen"? Do we see the mountain we are facing as too big, too strong, too immovable for our God? What would happen if we chose eager anticipation instead of despair? "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." -Hebrews 11:1 (P.S. I would encourage everyone to read Hebrews 11 in its entirety)
"joyously belting out Christmas carols and hymns that celebrate Jesus's birth" -What is our attitude toward worship? Is it a happy time of truly celebrating how great our God is whether we are at home, in our car, or at church? Do we choose to worship willingly, personally, and whole-heartedly? Or is worship something that we go through as mindlessly as washing the dishes, one more task to complete, another check mark to make on our list? Do we pour our heart out to God in worship or hold ourselves back out of fear of what others would say, pain concerning what we are facing in life, or mistaken notions about what worship is "supposed to be"? "Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! …" -Psalm 150:1-6 (ESV)
"enduring embarrassing church programs" -Okay, here is a humorous break from our otherwise serious discussion. I was not big on participating in church musicals, programs, and plays as a child…and by "not big on", I mean quite a few fits were pitched. For a shy (yes, I was once) young girl who had the singing voice of a bag of cats, they were just not my choice for a rompin' good time. Though I rarely endured them patiently and humbly, I now know it would have been to my benefit to do so. Just as it is to all of our benefit to draw near to God in hard times, to trust in His plan, to wait on His word, rather than run our own path through the maze, work on how we will fix the situation at hand, and, when all else fails, throw a grade A temper tantrum. How I wish that I could honestly state that the best choice as described above is the easiest or that I always make it…or even usually make it, but that is just not true. HOWEVER, I know that victory in Jesus is possible, and He and I are working on it together. I encourage you to as well. "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." -James 1:12 (ESV)
"peacefully sleeping through silent nights" -If the only gift that I received for Christmas was the ability to sleep as peacefully, soundly, and restfully as my two year old daughter does, I can honestly PROMISE that I would be more than thrilled with that one present. Sleep does not come easy for me. Worrying, stressing, going over to-do lists in my head, retrieving problems from the past and borrowing them from the future…none of that makes for a restful night. My desire is to find rest in God's promises (day or night), to entrust my past, present, future into His capable hands, and to not waste time on fretting over problems that only He can fix. Makes my eyelids a little heavy just to type those words. :) "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." -Psalm 4:8 (ESV)
"accepting gifts freely" -This is a big one, folks! Santa's sleigh can only hold so much, but God's storehouses have boundless gifts in stock for His children: grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy, peace, strength, compassion, holiness, power, LOVE, and so much more. BUT, do we receive those presents that are paid for by the blood of Christ freely? Do we reach out for them and clutch them as prized possessions? Do we fight against the devil when he tries to convince us that they are not ours for the taking? Or do we neglect to accept them because we feel unworthy? Even worse do we not allow ourselves to believe they even exist in this corrupt world? Do we treat them like we do childhood myths: too good to be true? Oh, that we would accept what God is offering. It is so much better than what we are settling for. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." -James 1:17 (ESV)
"observing the joy of the season with awe"- Let's just be honest…it is often difficult to be joyful. There are traffic jams, family feuds, diseases, political pow-wows, and a million other circumstances just waiting to bump our happy. Though I have by no means achieved greatness in this area, I know that any joy I find in the day-to-day grind of life will be (1) found in God and (2) a choice that I make. I could make you a list longer than Santa's "Naughty List" of all of my hundreds of grievances, things that just set my every nerve ablaze, but there are innumerably more reasons in Christ that I can locate and choose joy. May we all pray to observe and celebrate the joy of our Savior daily with awe…even in traffic jams, Lord help us. ;) "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4 (ESV)
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You that You long to make our lives as stinkin' awesome as that of a child at Christmastime. Life is hard, that we know, but we also know that You are good. I ask You to continually remind us of Your goodness, help us to anticipate it, celebrate it, endure hard times because of it, find peace and joy in it, and accept it freely. This world is often wild and crazy, unpredictable and scary, confusing and disheartening, but the abundant life You offer in it is no myth. Never has been; never will be. Don't let us forget it, oh, Lord. We love You and praise You for all that You are and all that You do. In Jesus's name, Amen.
Recently, I have been in awe to discover that the mentality of a child at Christmastime mirrors in many ways the manner in which God would have His children approach life. Not life in December…but life every month of the year, every day of the month, every hour of the day, every minute of the hour…LIFE with God. How He desires to mold our lives into something stinkin' awesome for Him, and how often we easily discard the glorious free gifts He offers in favor of expensive lessons that we do not have to buy for ourselves.
Let's break it down line by line…
(Confession in advance-I struggle with each one of these personally, so every "we", "us", "our", etc. most definitely includes me, too)
"eager anticipation of presents"- Do we expect God to come through for us? To help us? To bless us? To carry us across the stormy waters and through the blazing infernos? Or do we dreadfully look ahead to the worst that is "bound to happen"? Do we see the mountain we are facing as too big, too strong, too immovable for our God? What would happen if we chose eager anticipation instead of despair? "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." -Hebrews 11:1 (P.S. I would encourage everyone to read Hebrews 11 in its entirety)
"joyously belting out Christmas carols and hymns that celebrate Jesus's birth" -What is our attitude toward worship? Is it a happy time of truly celebrating how great our God is whether we are at home, in our car, or at church? Do we choose to worship willingly, personally, and whole-heartedly? Or is worship something that we go through as mindlessly as washing the dishes, one more task to complete, another check mark to make on our list? Do we pour our heart out to God in worship or hold ourselves back out of fear of what others would say, pain concerning what we are facing in life, or mistaken notions about what worship is "supposed to be"? "Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! …" -Psalm 150:1-6 (ESV)
"enduring embarrassing church programs" -Okay, here is a humorous break from our otherwise serious discussion. I was not big on participating in church musicals, programs, and plays as a child…and by "not big on", I mean quite a few fits were pitched. For a shy (yes, I was once) young girl who had the singing voice of a bag of cats, they were just not my choice for a rompin' good time. Though I rarely endured them patiently and humbly, I now know it would have been to my benefit to do so. Just as it is to all of our benefit to draw near to God in hard times, to trust in His plan, to wait on His word, rather than run our own path through the maze, work on how we will fix the situation at hand, and, when all else fails, throw a grade A temper tantrum. How I wish that I could honestly state that the best choice as described above is the easiest or that I always make it…or even usually make it, but that is just not true. HOWEVER, I know that victory in Jesus is possible, and He and I are working on it together. I encourage you to as well. "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." -James 1:12 (ESV)
"peacefully sleeping through silent nights" -If the only gift that I received for Christmas was the ability to sleep as peacefully, soundly, and restfully as my two year old daughter does, I can honestly PROMISE that I would be more than thrilled with that one present. Sleep does not come easy for me. Worrying, stressing, going over to-do lists in my head, retrieving problems from the past and borrowing them from the future…none of that makes for a restful night. My desire is to find rest in God's promises (day or night), to entrust my past, present, future into His capable hands, and to not waste time on fretting over problems that only He can fix. Makes my eyelids a little heavy just to type those words. :) "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." -Psalm 4:8 (ESV)
"accepting gifts freely" -This is a big one, folks! Santa's sleigh can only hold so much, but God's storehouses have boundless gifts in stock for His children: grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy, peace, strength, compassion, holiness, power, LOVE, and so much more. BUT, do we receive those presents that are paid for by the blood of Christ freely? Do we reach out for them and clutch them as prized possessions? Do we fight against the devil when he tries to convince us that they are not ours for the taking? Or do we neglect to accept them because we feel unworthy? Even worse do we not allow ourselves to believe they even exist in this corrupt world? Do we treat them like we do childhood myths: too good to be true? Oh, that we would accept what God is offering. It is so much better than what we are settling for. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." -James 1:17 (ESV)
"observing the joy of the season with awe"- Let's just be honest…it is often difficult to be joyful. There are traffic jams, family feuds, diseases, political pow-wows, and a million other circumstances just waiting to bump our happy. Though I have by no means achieved greatness in this area, I know that any joy I find in the day-to-day grind of life will be (1) found in God and (2) a choice that I make. I could make you a list longer than Santa's "Naughty List" of all of my hundreds of grievances, things that just set my every nerve ablaze, but there are innumerably more reasons in Christ that I can locate and choose joy. May we all pray to observe and celebrate the joy of our Savior daily with awe…even in traffic jams, Lord help us. ;) "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4 (ESV)
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank You that You long to make our lives as stinkin' awesome as that of a child at Christmastime. Life is hard, that we know, but we also know that You are good. I ask You to continually remind us of Your goodness, help us to anticipate it, celebrate it, endure hard times because of it, find peace and joy in it, and accept it freely. This world is often wild and crazy, unpredictable and scary, confusing and disheartening, but the abundant life You offer in it is no myth. Never has been; never will be. Don't let us forget it, oh, Lord. We love You and praise You for all that You are and all that You do. In Jesus's name, Amen.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Fight or Flight?
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." -1 Corinthians 9:24-25
My mother, sister, and I are almost completely convinced that we would be utterly useless in a true life or death crisis. Having never been in one we cannot say for sure, but there is an abundance of evidence that proves this theory. Whenever we are scared (usually by one another or another family member and usually on purpose), we do one of three things: (A) we scream loud enough to scare people who were not scared to begin with, (B) we literally drop to the floor, (C ) we do both (A) and (B). Hilarious does not begin to describe what it is to the "scare-er", but the "scare-ee" rarely joins in the laughter and immediately begins plotting revenge. (By the way, I ask that you use this illustration as an amusing part of the lesson to follow and not license to use it against us. I assure you that we do always fight back…once we get off the floor that is.)
Most of us have heard of the "fight or flight" response, which describes the one of two ways our bodies respond to stress. We either face it head-on or flee from it like a rabbit scampering from a hunter…or in some of our cases like a possum playing dead. While entertaining to think about it in the context of my family's pranks, God recently revealed some aspects of my spiritual "fight or flight" response to me that were not funny at all.
As I took a walk through our neighborhood, I was praying about why I seem to remain stuck in certain stress patterns concerning various parts of my life. I try (key word being "try") to alternate bursts of running with walking when I exercise, and after running a bit (key words being "a bit"), I felt Him whisper to my heart, "It's because you run. When you get scared, you run." Confessing the truth, I took issue with that statement. Unwisely attempting a "fight" response, I prayed, "But, Lord, I do this…But, Lord, I do that…How can you say that I run???" After refuting His words and God showing me that I was wrong, I threw out the excuse I knew to be true but not enough to excuse it all: "But, God, sometimes it's just too hard!"
Then, right there on my country road, He revealed something brilliant to my heart that I cannot forget: "What could be harder than the way you feel right now? It may be hard to fight, but you have Me in your corner, and we will be victorious in the end. Choosing to give up and run away will only ensure that the difficulty of despair, hopelessness, and defeat you speak of will continue."
We get so frightened at the prospect of a fight that we forget to be even more scared of laying down, giving up the fight, and ceding victory to the enemy. May we all choose to put on our spiritual boxing gloves and experience some victory in Jesus today.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for the words You spoke to me. Please speak them to the heart of every child of Yours reading this post today. Show us the victory You promise, and help us to claim it. Help us to face life and all its stresses standing boldly in Your power rather than cowering in our own. We love you, God, and thank You for victory in Jesus. In His name we pray, Amen!
My mother, sister, and I are almost completely convinced that we would be utterly useless in a true life or death crisis. Having never been in one we cannot say for sure, but there is an abundance of evidence that proves this theory. Whenever we are scared (usually by one another or another family member and usually on purpose), we do one of three things: (A) we scream loud enough to scare people who were not scared to begin with, (B) we literally drop to the floor, (C ) we do both (A) and (B). Hilarious does not begin to describe what it is to the "scare-er", but the "scare-ee" rarely joins in the laughter and immediately begins plotting revenge. (By the way, I ask that you use this illustration as an amusing part of the lesson to follow and not license to use it against us. I assure you that we do always fight back…once we get off the floor that is.)
Most of us have heard of the "fight or flight" response, which describes the one of two ways our bodies respond to stress. We either face it head-on or flee from it like a rabbit scampering from a hunter…or in some of our cases like a possum playing dead. While entertaining to think about it in the context of my family's pranks, God recently revealed some aspects of my spiritual "fight or flight" response to me that were not funny at all.
As I took a walk through our neighborhood, I was praying about why I seem to remain stuck in certain stress patterns concerning various parts of my life. I try (key word being "try") to alternate bursts of running with walking when I exercise, and after running a bit (key words being "a bit"), I felt Him whisper to my heart, "It's because you run. When you get scared, you run." Confessing the truth, I took issue with that statement. Unwisely attempting a "fight" response, I prayed, "But, Lord, I do this…But, Lord, I do that…How can you say that I run???" After refuting His words and God showing me that I was wrong, I threw out the excuse I knew to be true but not enough to excuse it all: "But, God, sometimes it's just too hard!"
Then, right there on my country road, He revealed something brilliant to my heart that I cannot forget: "What could be harder than the way you feel right now? It may be hard to fight, but you have Me in your corner, and we will be victorious in the end. Choosing to give up and run away will only ensure that the difficulty of despair, hopelessness, and defeat you speak of will continue."
We get so frightened at the prospect of a fight that we forget to be even more scared of laying down, giving up the fight, and ceding victory to the enemy. May we all choose to put on our spiritual boxing gloves and experience some victory in Jesus today.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You for the words You spoke to me. Please speak them to the heart of every child of Yours reading this post today. Show us the victory You promise, and help us to claim it. Help us to face life and all its stresses standing boldly in Your power rather than cowering in our own. We love you, God, and thank You for victory in Jesus. In His name we pray, Amen!
Monday, November 4, 2013
Pointing Fingers
I posted a few weeks ago about dealing with those who habitually criticize us. Then this super-fun (insert sarcasm here) thing happened that is so often the case in my life: after I pointed out a fault in others, God lovingly but firmly revealed the fingers pointing back at me. You have to laugh (mainly to keep from crying) at the sheer brilliance of God using the horrific behaviors of those around us to shine a spotlight on the same horrific behaviors in our life that have been hidden in dark places ranging from denial to unawareness. Ever had a conversation like this with God?
"God, you are going to have to do something about this person! They say this and they do that and they just won't stop! God, what are you waiting for?!?! You've got all of nature at your disposal. You've used big fish, blinding lights, and much more to get someone's attention before. I'd like to special order a combo for this person so You can let them know exactly what's wrong with them!" -Christian
(There's usually a slight pause in Heaven after a statement like the one above. Presumably it's God holding back a chuckle over what is about to happen next....)
"Child, are you sure they are the only person in this scenario who is misbehaving?" -God
"Huh? Oh, well, sure they're not. Their best friend is a major pain too, but we'll talk about that person later. Now about those big fish..." -Christian
"No, child, no...I meant is it possible that you, too, have a similar sin in your life?" -God
"Noooooooooooooooooo! God, we are talking about them, not me. Could you keep up, please?" -Christian
"Their behavior, which is so sickening to you, is reflecting a similar sin in your heart and your life that is sickening to Me...one that you and I need to work together to get rid of. " -God
(There's usually a pause on Earth after a statement like the one above...and trust me, there is no laughing now.)
I am not intentionally, habitually vocally critical of others, but God has really spoken to my heart lately about how many negative thoughts about those around me appear in my head and pop out of my mouth before I can think twice...which I should. I could blame society, social media, or even Satan himself, but I must take responsibility for my actions. Yes, society has a toxic habit of criticism. Absolutely, social media is infested with it as well. Certainly, Satan whispers condemning thoughts about other people (and me as well) into my ear on a daily basis. HOWEVER, as a born again child of God, I possess "...power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV).
The power to send those thoughts back to where they came from. The love to dig for the good in others to lift up and encourage them instead of heap piles of shame upon them and spread hateful words like horse manure. The self-discipline to keep my mouth shut if all else fails. Each of those things dwells inside my heart thanks to the Holy Spirit's residence there. There are no excuses. No one else to blame. Only changes to be made.
This revelation about myself is especially painful, because I have been granted the spiritual gift of encouragement. Using words to empower and uplift someone else gives me endless joy. Using them in a way that weakens and pushes others down is a disservice to those around me, myself, and the God who made me, saved me, and gifted me for His service. I will not be perfect, but, by God's grace and power, I will be better. I have to be.
For those who know me, please do not think I have some kind of secret life where I lift people up via text, Facebook, letters, etc. and tear them down behind their back. It isn't like that. Criticism of others, for me, comes most easily toward those who have hurt me (therefore angering me), let me down, or not even given me a chance, and honestly it flows even more toward myself than others. However, Matthew 5:43-48 reads in the NIV, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."
Criticism is not excused because it is "deserved" by human standards. I do not deserve grace, forgiveness, or the love of a perfect God, but thanks be to Him that I receive it anyway. Now to pass it on to others....
Dear God, as painful and ugly as it is, thank You for showing me my sin. Thank You that You do not reveal our faults and leave us to fix them on our own, but that You walk hand-in-hand with us as we repair the damage through Your power and grace. May we all be more encouraging than critical, more helpful than hurting, more gracious than condemning. Thank You for forgiveness of sin. We ask it in Jesus's sweet name, Amen!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Projects, Problems, and Progress
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him." -James 1:12 (ESV)
Project Queen...
When I was in school, I was the nerd excited to shop for new school supplies. Crisp, unblemished notebook paper, pens that still had lids that would soon be lost, folders in a rainbow of colors, I loved it all. My backpack was stocked and ready to go long before the first day of school arrived. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was eager to learn everything that I possibly could about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Books were purchased, websites perused, advice sought. Though I do not regret at all preparing the best I could in both of these instances, I soon discovered each time that school and pregnancy are not neat, quick projects like organizing a junk drawer or redoing a closet. They were ongoing processes that required constant learning, reevaluating ideas, patience, and perseverance when the "newness" of it all faded.
From pens to problems...
Herein is my primary struggle in spiritual growth. Just watch me devise a schedule for Bible reading, purchase a new book on the area I need help in most (trust me, there are many problem areas I could choose from), stock up on pens, paper, and highlighters for study, download my Christian music on iTunes, and get ready for God to rock my world. At that point, I am like, "Hey, God, we are good to go. We've got this."
Then comes the hard part for me. Kind of like October in school when homework, studying, tests, and projects kicked in like a spur into a horse, and this horse was longing for Christmas break...or better yet, summer break to appear. Or like twenty-five weeks into my pregnancy when the "We're having a baby!" and the "We're having a girl!" thrills faded into, "We have a looooong time to go before this baby girl arrives." I am all for partnering with God in the change and growth process necessary for every Christian in life, but my faith and determination are truly tested when messy, "unplannable" (yes, I like to make up words) reality stomps all over my clean, organized schedule.
Lessons from the University of Hard Knocks...
"Patience, God? You want to work on that with me? Sure, let me go buy a book on that topic. After I read the book, highlight the portions that would get an 'Amen' or two in church, and post a few sentences from it on Facebook, I'll be cured of impatience, right?" Ha! I wish. More accurate would be, "Yes, child. Let's work on patience. That molasses-slow driver, whiny toddler, dead cell phone battery, snippy cashier, and bright blue ink stain on the shirt you plan to wear today are your first lesson. I will be here for you to lean on and will supply every ounce of patience you need to endure it all, if you seek to receive it. Ready for class to begin?" Honestly, I laugh to myself typing that, but let me tell you, when all that and more piles on, as we say in the South, it ain't a bit funny, y'all!
Bible reading is a must. Reading godly books written by trustworthy, in-the-Word authors are a tremendous help to me. Christian music ministers to my heart in a major way. However, what I do with all the knowledge that I have gleaned from those sources in combination with instruction from the Holy Spirit when classes are in session at the "University of Hard Knocks" and how many times I allow God to pick me up and place me back in my proverbial desk for another lesson is what makes or breaks my progress with God.
The good news!
Are you wondering when I get to the "firefighter saves kitten trapped in tree" kind of good news that we all long to hear? The answer is now. Yes, growth in God is tough, messy, and often painful, but it is worth it. Consider nursing school and basic training for the military. Neither are for the faint of heart; if you are going to make it through, you have to want it, want it bad, and be willing to put in the time, energy, and pain it takes to succeed. Why are those programs so demanding? They have to be, because those people will hold the power of life and death in their hands, and those who teach them need to make sure they are at the fit to handle that enormous responsibility. As Christians, the same concept applies. The difference is that nurses and military personnel deal with physical life and death (and thank God that they do), but as children of the Most High King, we carry the accountability of spreading the news of how our God offers eternal spiritual life to save the world from everlasting death and destruction in hell. We, too, must be challenged and tested to ensure that we are in the spiritual shape needed to serve our Savior and reach a lost world for Him.
The other part of the good news? Like the military, we have comrades fighting and learning right alongside us. We also have an Instructor, and though sometimes He has every right to be, He is no drill sergeant. He is strength, power, and perseverance. He is also mercy, grace, and love, love, love. He never gives up on His children. He never walks away. He never gives us a failing grade. As someone quite wittily once said, "You never fail the tests of God. You get to take them over...and over...and over....and over...and over..." Thank God for retests! :)
Prayer
Lord, thank you for choosing us, loving us, and teaching us. God, we all know that growth in You is not always easy or pleasant, but remind us that it is always, always, always worth it. Help us to be heavenly minded and seek to see Your bigger plan rather than just our small, earthly ones. For me personally, enable me to stop viewing Your lessons as a project that I can control and accomplish neatly on my own. I pray that I would not back down or give up when life gets messy as it often does, but that I would trust in You to help me clean it up in Your way, in Your time, and in Your power. God, we are nothing on our own, but we are more than we could possibly imagine in You. Remind us of that daily, I pray, in Jesus's name, Amen!
Project Queen...
When I was in school, I was the nerd excited to shop for new school supplies. Crisp, unblemished notebook paper, pens that still had lids that would soon be lost, folders in a rainbow of colors, I loved it all. My backpack was stocked and ready to go long before the first day of school arrived. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was eager to learn everything that I possibly could about pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting. Books were purchased, websites perused, advice sought. Though I do not regret at all preparing the best I could in both of these instances, I soon discovered each time that school and pregnancy are not neat, quick projects like organizing a junk drawer or redoing a closet. They were ongoing processes that required constant learning, reevaluating ideas, patience, and perseverance when the "newness" of it all faded.
From pens to problems...
Herein is my primary struggle in spiritual growth. Just watch me devise a schedule for Bible reading, purchase a new book on the area I need help in most (trust me, there are many problem areas I could choose from), stock up on pens, paper, and highlighters for study, download my Christian music on iTunes, and get ready for God to rock my world. At that point, I am like, "Hey, God, we are good to go. We've got this."
Then comes the hard part for me. Kind of like October in school when homework, studying, tests, and projects kicked in like a spur into a horse, and this horse was longing for Christmas break...or better yet, summer break to appear. Or like twenty-five weeks into my pregnancy when the "We're having a baby!" and the "We're having a girl!" thrills faded into, "We have a looooong time to go before this baby girl arrives." I am all for partnering with God in the change and growth process necessary for every Christian in life, but my faith and determination are truly tested when messy, "unplannable" (yes, I like to make up words) reality stomps all over my clean, organized schedule.
Lessons from the University of Hard Knocks...
"Patience, God? You want to work on that with me? Sure, let me go buy a book on that topic. After I read the book, highlight the portions that would get an 'Amen' or two in church, and post a few sentences from it on Facebook, I'll be cured of impatience, right?" Ha! I wish. More accurate would be, "Yes, child. Let's work on patience. That molasses-slow driver, whiny toddler, dead cell phone battery, snippy cashier, and bright blue ink stain on the shirt you plan to wear today are your first lesson. I will be here for you to lean on and will supply every ounce of patience you need to endure it all, if you seek to receive it. Ready for class to begin?" Honestly, I laugh to myself typing that, but let me tell you, when all that and more piles on, as we say in the South, it ain't a bit funny, y'all!
Bible reading is a must. Reading godly books written by trustworthy, in-the-Word authors are a tremendous help to me. Christian music ministers to my heart in a major way. However, what I do with all the knowledge that I have gleaned from those sources in combination with instruction from the Holy Spirit when classes are in session at the "University of Hard Knocks" and how many times I allow God to pick me up and place me back in my proverbial desk for another lesson is what makes or breaks my progress with God.
The good news!
Are you wondering when I get to the "firefighter saves kitten trapped in tree" kind of good news that we all long to hear? The answer is now. Yes, growth in God is tough, messy, and often painful, but it is worth it. Consider nursing school and basic training for the military. Neither are for the faint of heart; if you are going to make it through, you have to want it, want it bad, and be willing to put in the time, energy, and pain it takes to succeed. Why are those programs so demanding? They have to be, because those people will hold the power of life and death in their hands, and those who teach them need to make sure they are at the fit to handle that enormous responsibility. As Christians, the same concept applies. The difference is that nurses and military personnel deal with physical life and death (and thank God that they do), but as children of the Most High King, we carry the accountability of spreading the news of how our God offers eternal spiritual life to save the world from everlasting death and destruction in hell. We, too, must be challenged and tested to ensure that we are in the spiritual shape needed to serve our Savior and reach a lost world for Him.
The other part of the good news? Like the military, we have comrades fighting and learning right alongside us. We also have an Instructor, and though sometimes He has every right to be, He is no drill sergeant. He is strength, power, and perseverance. He is also mercy, grace, and love, love, love. He never gives up on His children. He never walks away. He never gives us a failing grade. As someone quite wittily once said, "You never fail the tests of God. You get to take them over...and over...and over....and over...and over..." Thank God for retests! :)
Prayer
Lord, thank you for choosing us, loving us, and teaching us. God, we all know that growth in You is not always easy or pleasant, but remind us that it is always, always, always worth it. Help us to be heavenly minded and seek to see Your bigger plan rather than just our small, earthly ones. For me personally, enable me to stop viewing Your lessons as a project that I can control and accomplish neatly on my own. I pray that I would not back down or give up when life gets messy as it often does, but that I would trust in You to help me clean it up in Your way, in Your time, and in Your power. God, we are nothing on our own, but we are more than we could possibly imagine in You. Remind us of that daily, I pray, in Jesus's name, Amen!
Monday, October 14, 2013
From Betrayed Back To Trust
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5-6
Betrayed...
"I can't believe I ever trusted you!" How many times have we all heard these words? Maybe we heard an actress scream them through a veil of fake tears at her costar in a movie about betrayal. Maybe we heard a man bellow them at his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend in the grocery store parking lot in a fit of rage. Maybe we even heard ourselves utter those words in excruciating pain over the actions of the one person we thought "would never let us down." There is no accurate description for the shocking agony that comes with the realization that a belief we had about someone in our life was based on a complete and total lie. Unfortunately, it is a safe assumption that I do not have to attempt to explain that devastation to anyone reading this post, because at some place, at some time in our lives, someone has let each of us down in some way.
Backstabbed...
Ever had a trusted friend that revealed a humiliating secret about you after promising to never tell? Or had a relied upon significant other who was seeing someone else on the sly, all the while assuring you that "there could never be anyone else"? Or had a child that threw a fit about how you never believe anything they say when it would later be uncovered that what they were claiming at the time was in no way the truth? I do not ask these questions to bring up painful memories for anyone, but to remind us that in some way or another, we have all experienced loss of trust in others, whether temporary or permanent, whether their mistake was an innocent slip-up or an intentional scar inflicted upon us.
Bruised...
Betrayal happens here on this imperfect soil tread by imperfect humans. It happens, and, oh, does it hurt. At best, betrayal can cause us to be aware of the sin in this world, in others, and in ourselves, and draw us closer to the only One who truly will never let us down and who can heal our gaping wounds caused by the pain of it all: God. At worst, it causes us to run and hide from the world that we are so incredibly sick of knocking us down, try with all our might to thicken our skin and harden our hearts, and start to believe that the only one who can pick us up and keep us up...is us and us alone. The devil begins to whisper in his alluring, falsely soothing voice something like this, "God controls everything. And he didn't prevent that person who you loved with all your heart from hurting YOU? He must not care...how could he after allowing something like that? He's just like the others....you can't trust him..."
Believing lies...
It almost makes me tear up to type those words, because Satan has breathed them into my ear more than once, and sadly, often without realizing it, I have been guilty of taking them to heart. Deciding that if no one else is going to protect me and my heart, I will. Me and my understanding, my ways, my plans....we will. Oh, friends, I am here to tell you that it does not work, does not bring peace, does prevent pain, and certainly does not offer the abundant life that Christ offers us (John 10:10).
Back to the truth...back to trust
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart.." Turning over our bruised feelings, wounded pride, battered emotions, and broken heart over to the One who created it and can and will heal it in His way and His time
"...and lean not on your own understanding..." Turning over our carefully prepared plans, fearful ideas about what is to come, and knowledge based on what we see to the One who knows all and sees all, from the very beginning of time to eternity; read Isaiah 55:8-9
"...in all your ways submit to Him..." Turning over what we want to think, believe, say, and do to the One who knows what effect those actions will have on us and the world around us; when we genuinely seek Him about what to do and when, He is faithful to tell us (read Matthew 7:7-8)
"...and He will make your paths straight..." Turning over our desires for a painless path, a controlled-by-us path to the One who knows the path that leads to righteousness, holiness, and godliness...the One who will hold our hand every step down that path, pick us up every time we fall, and never betray us or let us down...despite all the lies the devil may spout to the contrary
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You so very much that you promise many times to never leave us nor forsake us. Thank You that Your Word assures us that You do not lie or change Your mind (Numbers 23:19). What You say, You mean. We can trust in You, even when we can trust in no one else. That being said, God, You know how much betrayal by others and other disappointments in this life hurt us. How they tempt us to turn from what we know to be true to what we think we can control on our own. We ask that you heal each and every person reading this that is broken and bruised from trusting in someone or something that let them down. Wrap Your everlasting, loving arms around that person and remind them that though men, women, boys, and girls will disappoint us on this Earth, You, Our Father in Heaven never will. And that You can bring restoration and guidance to the lives of Your children whenever we seek it in truth and in humility. Thank You for all that You are and all that You do for us. We love You. In Jesus's name, Amen!
Betrayed...
"I can't believe I ever trusted you!" How many times have we all heard these words? Maybe we heard an actress scream them through a veil of fake tears at her costar in a movie about betrayal. Maybe we heard a man bellow them at his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend in the grocery store parking lot in a fit of rage. Maybe we even heard ourselves utter those words in excruciating pain over the actions of the one person we thought "would never let us down." There is no accurate description for the shocking agony that comes with the realization that a belief we had about someone in our life was based on a complete and total lie. Unfortunately, it is a safe assumption that I do not have to attempt to explain that devastation to anyone reading this post, because at some place, at some time in our lives, someone has let each of us down in some way.
Backstabbed...
Ever had a trusted friend that revealed a humiliating secret about you after promising to never tell? Or had a relied upon significant other who was seeing someone else on the sly, all the while assuring you that "there could never be anyone else"? Or had a child that threw a fit about how you never believe anything they say when it would later be uncovered that what they were claiming at the time was in no way the truth? I do not ask these questions to bring up painful memories for anyone, but to remind us that in some way or another, we have all experienced loss of trust in others, whether temporary or permanent, whether their mistake was an innocent slip-up or an intentional scar inflicted upon us.
Bruised...
Betrayal happens here on this imperfect soil tread by imperfect humans. It happens, and, oh, does it hurt. At best, betrayal can cause us to be aware of the sin in this world, in others, and in ourselves, and draw us closer to the only One who truly will never let us down and who can heal our gaping wounds caused by the pain of it all: God. At worst, it causes us to run and hide from the world that we are so incredibly sick of knocking us down, try with all our might to thicken our skin and harden our hearts, and start to believe that the only one who can pick us up and keep us up...is us and us alone. The devil begins to whisper in his alluring, falsely soothing voice something like this, "God controls everything. And he didn't prevent that person who you loved with all your heart from hurting YOU? He must not care...how could he after allowing something like that? He's just like the others....you can't trust him..."
Believing lies...
It almost makes me tear up to type those words, because Satan has breathed them into my ear more than once, and sadly, often without realizing it, I have been guilty of taking them to heart. Deciding that if no one else is going to protect me and my heart, I will. Me and my understanding, my ways, my plans....we will. Oh, friends, I am here to tell you that it does not work, does not bring peace, does prevent pain, and certainly does not offer the abundant life that Christ offers us (John 10:10).
Back to the truth...back to trust
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart.." Turning over our bruised feelings, wounded pride, battered emotions, and broken heart over to the One who created it and can and will heal it in His way and His time
"...and lean not on your own understanding..." Turning over our carefully prepared plans, fearful ideas about what is to come, and knowledge based on what we see to the One who knows all and sees all, from the very beginning of time to eternity; read Isaiah 55:8-9
"...in all your ways submit to Him..." Turning over what we want to think, believe, say, and do to the One who knows what effect those actions will have on us and the world around us; when we genuinely seek Him about what to do and when, He is faithful to tell us (read Matthew 7:7-8)
"...and He will make your paths straight..." Turning over our desires for a painless path, a controlled-by-us path to the One who knows the path that leads to righteousness, holiness, and godliness...the One who will hold our hand every step down that path, pick us up every time we fall, and never betray us or let us down...despite all the lies the devil may spout to the contrary
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You so very much that you promise many times to never leave us nor forsake us. Thank You that Your Word assures us that You do not lie or change Your mind (Numbers 23:19). What You say, You mean. We can trust in You, even when we can trust in no one else. That being said, God, You know how much betrayal by others and other disappointments in this life hurt us. How they tempt us to turn from what we know to be true to what we think we can control on our own. We ask that you heal each and every person reading this that is broken and bruised from trusting in someone or something that let them down. Wrap Your everlasting, loving arms around that person and remind them that though men, women, boys, and girls will disappoint us on this Earth, You, Our Father in Heaven never will. And that You can bring restoration and guidance to the lives of Your children whenever we seek it in truth and in humility. Thank You for all that You are and all that You do for us. We love You. In Jesus's name, Amen!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
What About You?
"God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM...'" -Exodus 3:14
Recently God has truly pressed upon my heart that this time period...this century...this year...this month...today...right now is the time in which we must decide how much we truly believe the truths we claim to stand upon.
Recently God has truly pressed upon my heart that this time period...this century...this year...this month...today...right now is the time in which we must decide how much we truly believe the truths we claim to stand upon.
We say that God is our Provider. Will we trust Him to be so as unemployment skyrockets, national debt escalates rapidly, stock markets plummet, and the dollar becomes more and more worthless with each passing day?
We say that God is our Healer. Will we trust Him to be so as life-threatening illnesses become more and more common, some diseases are still incurable by doctors, and many health problems are not preventable by our actions as far as we know?
We say that God is our Leader. Will we trust Him to be so when national, state, and local ones often fail, whether by legal standards or moral ones, to lead in a way that is best for those they are leading?
We say that God is our Great Physician. Will we trust Him to be so when so many doctors and nurses are limited by unreasonable insurance regulations, when insurance and/or medical treatments are sometimes in no humanly way affordable, when it seems as if the healthcare system is being severely jeopardized by politics?
We say that God is our Peace. Will we trust Him to be so when our televisions, radios, newsfeeds, text messages, and emails are flooded with horrific news that brings distress, worry, anguish, and fear?
We say that God is our Ultimate Victor. Will we trust Him to be so when we witness defeat in so many areas on a daily basis?
We say that God is Everlasting. Will we trust Him to be so when bombarded with temporal problems that fight, scratch and claw for our attention and focus?
We say that God is Faithful. Will we trust Him to be so when our nation as a whole...and often we as individuals...are faithless?
We say that God is with us, for us, and within us. Will be trust Him to be so when it feels at times that no one is with us, no one is for us, and fear is rampant within us?
We say that God is all we need. Will be trust Him to be so when He is all we have?
We have said many times that we believe all of that. We have sung about it, posted about it, "Amen'ed" it, wore T-shirts that displayed it....but how much do we truly trust in it? The proving time is here for us all...right now. I want to be someone who proves that God is who He says He is and who I say He is. What about you?
Monday, October 7, 2013
Does Your Attitude Match Your Earrings?
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven." -Matthew 5:14-16
Comforted by cross earrings
Just like I have snapped a million quick pictures over the years with my iPod touch, my mind mentally recorded a snapshot of this woman's earrings. It was not that they were especially adorable, though they were cute, but rather that they were reassuring to me. Reassuring? Earrings? That would admittedly sound a little nutty if I left out the part where I told you that the woman wearing the earrings was a nurse, and, at the time, I was undergoing a medical test that was extremely frightening to me. Rest assured all was well then and is now, but at the time, my mind was filled with innumerable fears and worries concerning the possible results. Why were her earrings reassuring? Hanging from each one was a silver cross. She was a fellow Jesus girl. Was I glad to know that she was well-trained in her profession? Of course. Did I appreciate her effort in making small talk to ease the silence? Yes. But it nothing gave me more peace than those small symbols of faith dangling in front of me and the hope that this woman caring for my life trusted Jesus with hers.
After the test results came back clear and my mind actually had room to hold another thought, I began to consider those earrings and how they affected me in that situation. I had no misconceptions that they were ironclad proof of her salvation, but they did give me reason to believe that she had faith in the Savior that died on a cross like the one symbolized by her accessories and that, get this, she would make all attempts to act like Him.
Powerful jewelry and powerful truth
Whew, that is some powerful jewelry! And a powerful truth, one that none of us can afford to miss. When I was in high school, W.W.J.D bracelets were wildly popular, and the trend quickly spread to T-shirts, hats, everything on which the acronym could be printed. It stood for: "What would Jesus do?" Although it was a question designed to prompt the wearer to ask themselves if what they were about to engage in was godly, I often failed to remember that it was also a statement. A statement to the outside world that told them: "I WANT to and WILL DO MY BEST to do what Jesus would do."
Looking back, it is frightening to consider how often I wore jewelry that labeled me as a follower and imitator of Jesus with no regard to how my words and actions might negate that statement. Now I am humbled by the notion that no matter what my T-shirt, bumper sticker, or necklace may look like, I still proudly wear the label "Christian" and need to seek to, through God's help, be an accurate reflection of Him to the world.
Labeled as the light
Before you go donate all of your cross jewelry and Jesus T-shirts to Goodwill out of fear of not living up to the faith you display with your accessories and clothing, hear me out. The moment we accept Jesus into our hearts through faith as Lord and Savior, God himself labels us as His: His children, His redeemed, His heirs (see Romans 8:17). He desires for us to display that label and His love for all the world to see. Matthew 5:14-16 reads, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven."
Fear not
Does that scare you? Granted it can be intimidating to know that we weak, imperfect humans are to be reflections of a omnipotent, perfect God, but we do not have to be afraid of the task. Earlier when I mentioned my W.W.J.D-wearing days being frightening to look back on, that was solely because I did not take the responsibility and honor of being a Christian and being "Jesus to the world" seriously. THAT is what should put some holy fear in us: disregard for the amazing task we have been entrusted with, which is ultimately living our lives to love, glorify, and serve God and lead others to Him (see Matt. 28:16-20, Matt. 22:36-40, 1 Samuel 12:24). However, when we desire whole-heartedly to do God's will and taking our commitment to Him seriously, we need not worry about being inadequate. God enables and empowers us to do every single thing He calls us to. As Philippians 2:13 reminds us, "for it is GOD who works IN you to will and act in order to fulfill His good purpose" (emphasis mine). He has more than enough power for us all; He just asks that we surrender our will to His and our weakness to Him.
Don't miss this
Before I let you go, I would be remiss if I did not add this caveat (which is a fancy word that I love that basically means "warning of specific limitations"). Cross earrings, Christian t-shirts, Facebook statuses about Jesus...none of it means we will be perfect. Unfortunately, some people wrongly assume that anyone who wears the label (whether visible to people on clothing or visible to God and others on your heart) "Christian" should never fail, never fall, never posses one little flaw...and God help you if you do. But you know what? They are partially correct on that last part: God WILL help you WHEN you do. The world may offer insults and condemnation, but He offers victory when we fail, a hand to help us up when fall, and forgiveness for each and every flaw. Which will you trust in?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that failing, fallen, and flawed though we can be, You still chose us to reflect Your light onto this dark world. Help us to never forget what an enormous honor and responsibility that is. Also, remind us daily that we never once have to face this world alone. You go before us, behind us, beside us, and, most importantly, inside us to enable us to do Your work and Your will. You are such a good God, and we love You so very much. In Jesus's name, Amen!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Cats, Criticism, and Calvary
"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." -Ephesians 4:29
Who is your "Cat-person"?
Do you have a person (or people, as the case may be) in your life that pounces on every opportunity to verbally attack you? A person who behaves like a cat that sneaks up on an unsuspecting mouse and leaps toward it, focused, hissing, claws out, going in for the kill? If you consider those words dramatic, I am going to assume that you, in fact, do not know a "Cat-woman" or "Cat-man". I sincerely hope that you have not had the intense displeasure of feeling like someone sees you as a target, as their "mouse." Sadly, during conversations with friends and acquaintances, I have been repeatedly informed that I am not the only one. There are others who have limped away from a conversation battered and bruised by intentionally hurtful "jokes", barbed comments, blatant put-downs, fierce criticisms, the list goes on and on.
Disclaimer ahead...
Allow me to issue an "ugly truth" disclaimer here: Yes, I have allowed and sometimes forced words out of this mouth (or through these hands if typing/texting) that no doubt cut someone else to the bone and/or made them angry to the core. Yes, in the past, I have done so on purpose. And, yes, goodness, yes, I hate that. God has regular much-needed talks with me about how I talk, about how I wield the power of words, about whether I speak blessings or curses into the lives of others. Now, I can honestly assert that, though at times I permit my temper to fire off words instead of seeking God to cool me down, any hurt that I bring to others in conversation is not intentional and deeply regretted after the fact.
What on Earth do we do?
The issue at hand, however, is not every single person on this Earth, saved or not, that makes mistakes and injures another in the process. I am referring to those who truly seek to bring pain to other people, for whatever reason, and by all appearances feel no remorse about their actions. What on Earth do we do about those people, Lord? He has heard that question as often from me as I hear the word "Mommy" in my household. Well....not that much, but a lot, I can assure you.
You're not alone
When I ask, He takes me back to the time that our perfect Jesus walked on this imperfect, sin-scarred Earth. One would imagine that being the Son of God, God in flesh, holy, blameless, Savior and Redeemer would get Jesus a "get-out-of-criticism-free" card. Heart-breakingly, no. The Pharisees stated that, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons" (Matt. 9:34). In layman terms, they were accusing him of drawing his power from the devil. Matthew chapter 13 tells us that when He began teaching in His hometown, "they took offense at him" (verse 57). There are so many more references, but let us not forget the place that symbolizes all the pain, agony, criticism, torture that the Sinless One took on so that we sinners might live eternally with Him in Heaven. Let us not forget Calvary. Before and during the crucifixion, we read that these actions were taken against Jesus: "spit in his face", "struck him with their fists", "stripped him", "mocked him", "twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head", "struck him on the head again and again", and so much more, not to mention the nails that He willingly allowed them to drive into His hands and feet to crucify Him on a cross (Matt. 26, 27).
What on Earth did HE do?
Though those scriptures can certainly put our pain in perspective, they do not discount our hurts in the eyes of God. Psalm 56:8 reads, "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." He sees; He cares. I included those verses about Jesus's suffering not to say that ours is inconsequential, but so we can study how He dealt with attacks in His time here on Earth.
1. He made alone time with God the Father a priority. "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." -Mark 1:35
It does not have to be early morning, but it is so important to set aside time to be alone with God and hear His truth, especially when assaulted with criticism and lies.
2. He responded to attacks with truth based on God's word. The most memorable occasion is in Matthew chapter 4 when Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus's response to every temptation was, "It is written..." followed by scripture quotes (v. 4, 7, 10). This is not to say that we should quote Bible verses to every "cat" who attacks us, but rather that it is enormously helpful to hold tight to God's Word and God's truth when faced with vicious words and lies. When necessary, God will enable us to respond verbally by "speaking the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15), but knowing God's truth in our heart can assist us in holding our peace when that is needed as well.
3. He forgave. Let's return to that old rugged cross once more. "Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." -Luke 23:34 Whew-wee! That is a tough one. Tough for me to write. Tough for me to live. If you are anything like me, tough for you to hear. This flesh of mine never has any desire to forgive those who hurt me. BUT this heart of mine that beats for Jesus wants so deeply to please Him and obey His commands. I know that if I ask Him to help me choose to get past my feelings, forgive, and move on, He will. Enormously difficult for this sinner, but entirely possible through my Savior.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You that even though words can hurt, You can heal. Help us to speak blessings into the lives of others and forgive those that speak curses into ours. Thank You that You see our pain, You care about it, and You are always willing to walk us through it if we reach out and take Your hand. We love You, Lord. Thank You for loving us. In Jesus's name, Amen!
P.S. No cats or mice were harmed in the making of this post. Though I am not a raving fan of either, no offense meant to them or their owners ;)
Monday, September 30, 2013
What Do You See?
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." -2 Corinthians 4:18
Who? What? When?
In high school, I was highly (slightly ridiculously) competitive concerning grades. Who scored highest on that test? Whose average was the best mid semester? Who knew the answer to that tricky question on the pop quiz?During a troubling time in a church I attended, I could not see an end in sight to the problems. What was causing this issue to drag on and on? What was stopping everyone from "just getting along"? What needed to happen to fix it all? When my daughter was a baby, a combination of well-meaning (most of them anyway) question askers and my first-time mom worries caused me to fret over milestones. When would she start crawling? When would she begin pulling up on furniture on her own? When would she speak for the first time?
Seeing It All From Heaven's View
All those "Who? What? When?"'s over situations that, from Heaven's viewpoint, were hardly earth-shattering. Now I could not remember who scored what on a specific test if I spent an hour trying. Now I have peace over those turmoil-inducing church crises. Now not even my daughter's baby book that I slacked off filling out can tell me when she began crawling. Sure, I am proud that I worked hard to achieve honors in school, grateful that God guided me through that tough time at church, and so appreciative that my little girl is healthy, but quite disappointed in myself that I allowed those and so many other temporary circumstances to consume my thoughts.
Makes Me Want to Scream
How I wish it were effortless to focus on the unseen, the eternal, rather than the seen, the temporary! Here is the issue: God gave us physical senses. Eyes that see everything from piles of dishes in the sink to our loved one's broken heart. Ears that hear criticism from "friends", slanderous gossip about our family, and news of how yet another item is added to our already too long "to-do" list. Nerves that enable us to feel the pain that is inevitable in this life. The temporary is in front of us screaming in our face, behind us tapping on our back, to our left tugging on our arm, to our right leaning on our shoulder. Every day of every week of every year. It is enough to make me want to, at times, get mad, give up, walk away, or scream. None of that really helps, though, except maybe a well-placed (the middle of Wal-Mart is probably not ideal), well-timed (preferably when you are alone) scream. That actually can make room in your brain for other things. So.....Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Warning and Confession Ahead
Now that I have done a little brain-clearing, I can tell you about what God has been sharing with me about how to shift my gaze from all that surrounds me to that which is above me. Warning: it is not easy! Confession: I have not yet even begun to master this! Why do you think God and I have been chatting about it? ;) Earlier in my post, I mentioned how the sights, sounds, and feelings this temporary world evokes can be overwhelming. In order to get in touch with the eternal world and the eternal One, first of all, I have to make time to be alone with the Lord and quiet my heart before Him as much as possible that I may accurately see Him, hear Him, feel Him. He has convicted me to get up earlier than everyone else in my home and have time to pray, read His Word, and seek Him then. As a severely set in stone non-morning person, I am less than thrilled about that specific instruction for me, but I know that it is necessary. Want to hear something funny? I was praying about it, then opened my Bible to read, and it fell open to John 20:1, "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb..." Seriously, I laughed out loud. It was as if God was saying, "This lady got up before the sun on the first day of the week (which, in Becca-world, means MONDAY) to go out and seek Me. You can, too." Early morning...Mondays...He is calling me far from my comfort zone, ladies. Only because He knows I need it, though. Ask Him what you need. He will tell you.
Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord
Another crucial step in zeroing in on the eternal sights is utilizing our spiritual senses. In Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV), we read these words, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe..." Ask God to open the eyes of your heart to what He is working in and around you and help you focus on that, rather than all this temporary world and its evil ruler is trying to accomplish. Proverbs 2:1-5 (ESV) tells us, "My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Request that God open your spiritual ears to His wisdom more than the criticism, gossip, and horrific news around you, that He open your spiritual heart to understanding Him and His ways more than trying to understand the understandable in this world.
In this world, we absolutely have to take care of and deal with the temporary weekly, daily, hourly. All that God asks is that we make every effort to focus on Him and the glorious eternity with Him that awaits His children while we do so.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Our every sense is bombarded by the temporary on a minute-by-minute basis. Help us to fix our eyes, ears, and heart on You. What you have to show us. What you have to tell us. What you have to offer us. We know it is hard, but we also thank You that nothing is too hard for You. We love you, God. Thank You for being eternally You. In Jesus's name, Amen!
Who? What? When?
In high school, I was highly (slightly ridiculously) competitive concerning grades. Who scored highest on that test? Whose average was the best mid semester? Who knew the answer to that tricky question on the pop quiz?During a troubling time in a church I attended, I could not see an end in sight to the problems. What was causing this issue to drag on and on? What was stopping everyone from "just getting along"? What needed to happen to fix it all? When my daughter was a baby, a combination of well-meaning (most of them anyway) question askers and my first-time mom worries caused me to fret over milestones. When would she start crawling? When would she begin pulling up on furniture on her own? When would she speak for the first time?
Seeing It All From Heaven's View
All those "Who? What? When?"'s over situations that, from Heaven's viewpoint, were hardly earth-shattering. Now I could not remember who scored what on a specific test if I spent an hour trying. Now I have peace over those turmoil-inducing church crises. Now not even my daughter's baby book that I slacked off filling out can tell me when she began crawling. Sure, I am proud that I worked hard to achieve honors in school, grateful that God guided me through that tough time at church, and so appreciative that my little girl is healthy, but quite disappointed in myself that I allowed those and so many other temporary circumstances to consume my thoughts.
Makes Me Want to Scream
How I wish it were effortless to focus on the unseen, the eternal, rather than the seen, the temporary! Here is the issue: God gave us physical senses. Eyes that see everything from piles of dishes in the sink to our loved one's broken heart. Ears that hear criticism from "friends", slanderous gossip about our family, and news of how yet another item is added to our already too long "to-do" list. Nerves that enable us to feel the pain that is inevitable in this life. The temporary is in front of us screaming in our face, behind us tapping on our back, to our left tugging on our arm, to our right leaning on our shoulder. Every day of every week of every year. It is enough to make me want to, at times, get mad, give up, walk away, or scream. None of that really helps, though, except maybe a well-placed (the middle of Wal-Mart is probably not ideal), well-timed (preferably when you are alone) scream. That actually can make room in your brain for other things. So.....Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Warning and Confession Ahead
Now that I have done a little brain-clearing, I can tell you about what God has been sharing with me about how to shift my gaze from all that surrounds me to that which is above me. Warning: it is not easy! Confession: I have not yet even begun to master this! Why do you think God and I have been chatting about it? ;) Earlier in my post, I mentioned how the sights, sounds, and feelings this temporary world evokes can be overwhelming. In order to get in touch with the eternal world and the eternal One, first of all, I have to make time to be alone with the Lord and quiet my heart before Him as much as possible that I may accurately see Him, hear Him, feel Him. He has convicted me to get up earlier than everyone else in my home and have time to pray, read His Word, and seek Him then. As a severely set in stone non-morning person, I am less than thrilled about that specific instruction for me, but I know that it is necessary. Want to hear something funny? I was praying about it, then opened my Bible to read, and it fell open to John 20:1, "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb..." Seriously, I laughed out loud. It was as if God was saying, "This lady got up before the sun on the first day of the week (which, in Becca-world, means MONDAY) to go out and seek Me. You can, too." Early morning...Mondays...He is calling me far from my comfort zone, ladies. Only because He knows I need it, though. Ask Him what you need. He will tell you.
Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord
Another crucial step in zeroing in on the eternal sights is utilizing our spiritual senses. In Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV), we read these words, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe..." Ask God to open the eyes of your heart to what He is working in and around you and help you focus on that, rather than all this temporary world and its evil ruler is trying to accomplish. Proverbs 2:1-5 (ESV) tells us, "My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Request that God open your spiritual ears to His wisdom more than the criticism, gossip, and horrific news around you, that He open your spiritual heart to understanding Him and His ways more than trying to understand the understandable in this world.
In this world, we absolutely have to take care of and deal with the temporary weekly, daily, hourly. All that God asks is that we make every effort to focus on Him and the glorious eternity with Him that awaits His children while we do so.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Our every sense is bombarded by the temporary on a minute-by-minute basis. Help us to fix our eyes, ears, and heart on You. What you have to show us. What you have to tell us. What you have to offer us. We know it is hard, but we also thank You that nothing is too hard for You. We love you, God. Thank You for being eternally You. In Jesus's name, Amen!
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
One of Those Days
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
One of Those Days
Today has been one of those days. One of those days when the devil has been like an obnoxious sports fan screaming in my ear. You know, the ones that just do not know when to sit down on the bleachers and shut up? Yeah, one of those. He has loudly reminded me of everything that is the least bit wrong in the world (both my world and the world in general) since I groggily opened my eyes this morning. Then he proceeded to salt my wounds with new wrongs to add to the pile I allowed him to heap upon my shoulders. But enough about him. You see, there is giving the devil our awareness (meaning we recognize him and his schemes for what they are), and then there is giving him our attention (meaning we switch our focus from the Savior and his work to Satan and his).
Becca the Builder
"What did you do when all this happened?", you might ask. Well, I did what any type A, organization lover would do: I made a list. "On paper?" No, no, no...in my mind. There are only 50, 604 other lists up there, so what's one more, right? "So, was this a prayer list? You're a Christian; I'm sure this was a prayer list." That would be the spiritually logical action to take, but again no. I went into "Becca the Builder" mode and made a fix-it list of how I planned to repair everything and everyone around me. Not myself, mind you. No time for that. The rest of the world needs my intervention much more.
The List:
1. Hammer the attitude problem of the person giving me grief.
2. Drill some common sense into government policies that are sorely lacking in it.
3. Chainsaw that person I know away from that bad habit that is hurting them.
4. Sand the rough edges off of the personality that is rubbing many the wrong way.
5. If all else fails, break out the demolition crew and destroy some stuff.
I Needed the Nails
The list is meant to be humorous, but there is nothing funny about how I handled this situation. See, I took it all on as MY job, MY responsibility, MY war to fight. Not only is it not my place to fix everything and everyone, I am not even able to do that. In my own power, I cannot even repair what is broken within me. Yes, there is a (whether real or proverbial I know not) Fix-It List with my name on it in Heaven, and I am certain that it is not short enough to be on a Post-It. But God and I work through that list together. In His time. In His way. And, most certainly, in His power. When He desires that I act on a situation, speak His words into someone else's life, or just seek Him in prayer and His word about a troublesome area in life, He speaks to me, not in an angry yell flinging insults at a player on a team, but in a "still, small voice" (see 1 Kings 19:11-12). If I would have taken the time to quiet my heart and listen for Him, I would have realized that I did not need a drill, chainsaw, or, even a hammer. I just needed the power of the nails...the power of the cross...the power of my Savior.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for your power that never fails, never quits, and is more than enough for us all. Forgive us when we give the devil our attention. Help us keep our focus on You and You alone. Forgive us for attempting to fix it all in our own strength. Thank You that we don't have to. This world is full of problems, but You are full of promises, ones that are never broken. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus's name, Amen!
One of Those Days
Today has been one of those days. One of those days when the devil has been like an obnoxious sports fan screaming in my ear. You know, the ones that just do not know when to sit down on the bleachers and shut up? Yeah, one of those. He has loudly reminded me of everything that is the least bit wrong in the world (both my world and the world in general) since I groggily opened my eyes this morning. Then he proceeded to salt my wounds with new wrongs to add to the pile I allowed him to heap upon my shoulders. But enough about him. You see, there is giving the devil our awareness (meaning we recognize him and his schemes for what they are), and then there is giving him our attention (meaning we switch our focus from the Savior and his work to Satan and his).
Becca the Builder
"What did you do when all this happened?", you might ask. Well, I did what any type A, organization lover would do: I made a list. "On paper?" No, no, no...in my mind. There are only 50, 604 other lists up there, so what's one more, right? "So, was this a prayer list? You're a Christian; I'm sure this was a prayer list." That would be the spiritually logical action to take, but again no. I went into "Becca the Builder" mode and made a fix-it list of how I planned to repair everything and everyone around me. Not myself, mind you. No time for that. The rest of the world needs my intervention much more.
The List:
1. Hammer the attitude problem of the person giving me grief.
2. Drill some common sense into government policies that are sorely lacking in it.
3. Chainsaw that person I know away from that bad habit that is hurting them.
4. Sand the rough edges off of the personality that is rubbing many the wrong way.
5. If all else fails, break out the demolition crew and destroy some stuff.
I Needed the Nails
The list is meant to be humorous, but there is nothing funny about how I handled this situation. See, I took it all on as MY job, MY responsibility, MY war to fight. Not only is it not my place to fix everything and everyone, I am not even able to do that. In my own power, I cannot even repair what is broken within me. Yes, there is a (whether real or proverbial I know not) Fix-It List with my name on it in Heaven, and I am certain that it is not short enough to be on a Post-It. But God and I work through that list together. In His time. In His way. And, most certainly, in His power. When He desires that I act on a situation, speak His words into someone else's life, or just seek Him in prayer and His word about a troublesome area in life, He speaks to me, not in an angry yell flinging insults at a player on a team, but in a "still, small voice" (see 1 Kings 19:11-12). If I would have taken the time to quiet my heart and listen for Him, I would have realized that I did not need a drill, chainsaw, or, even a hammer. I just needed the power of the nails...the power of the cross...the power of my Savior.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for your power that never fails, never quits, and is more than enough for us all. Forgive us when we give the devil our attention. Help us keep our focus on You and You alone. Forgive us for attempting to fix it all in our own strength. Thank You that we don't have to. This world is full of problems, but You are full of promises, ones that are never broken. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus's name, Amen!
Monday, September 23, 2013
Why Problem-free Barbie wouldn't make a good BFF
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." -2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV
Problem-free Barbie...I know someone who wants to be friends with you. Yes, you! Exciting, right? She is great. Smart, beautiful, funny, popular. You will love her. Well....there is one tiny thing wrong with her: the fact that there is nothing wrong with her. She and her husband never engage in World War III over dirty laundry covering the floor or the toilet seat lid being left up. Her children would not dream of disobeying her instruction, let alone turn into a pile of snot, tears, and screams over a bag of Cheetos in the middle of Wal-Mart. Struggles dealing with selecting carrot sticks over Triple Fudge Cake with a scoop of ice cream on the side do not exist in her world; healthy choices come naturally to her. Her checkbook balance is always exceedingly larger than the small stack of neatly piled bills on her kitchen counter.
...with matching daughter and accessories
For you younger readers, she has a daughter that would love to hang out with you, too. The only thing is, she is just like her mom. Her friends would not dream about tweeting about her being that "someone" that drives them crazy, makes them sick, is the biggest hypocrite they have ever known, you get my drift. She could have any guy she wants, and the one she has is just as gorgeous as she is, never pressures her to go anywhere she does not desire to, agrees with her every word, and never ignores her calls/texts because he is watching "the" football game or playing "Call of Duty". She never misses a three-pointer in basketball games, forgets to study for a quiz, or runs out of gas a mile from the nearest gas station. Oh, and she and her parents always see eye to eye on everything, her super-small sized Buckle jeans are never too tight, and she has yet to see a pimple appear on her face just before picture day.
No, thanks..I'll pass
So, what do you think? When is a good time for them to come over? I'm sorry, did I just hear you scream, "NEVER!!!" at the screen? Yeah, I thought so. Same here. Your ideas about people like that would most likely live in the realm of: A) "She is fake and hiding something...there's probably a body or two in her trunk and a plenty of skeletons in her closet behind those Buckle jeans." B) "I don't want to be friends with her. My imperfect self would soon become the first and biggest problem she's ever had!" C) "That chick and I would not have one thing in common. She doesn't have one problem, and many days, I have as many as a kid with chicken pox has spots." D) All of the above. Before we move forward, allow me to put your mind at ease with the following statement: this post is not a rant on nutritious food selections, wealthy folks, or Buckle jeans. Personally, I admire the steadfastly healthy, would love to be rich, and, in my mind, Buckle jeans are two hundred and one kinds of fabulous. Nor am I asserting that the above mentioned scenarios are the greatest problems in our world. The point that I am bordering on taking too long to make is that no one wants a BFF that does not know what it means to go through the fire of life's problems, both seemingly big and small, and come out with your split ends, eyelashes, and heart singed. And no one would dare seek out a person like that to minister to them.
From hurt to healing
For years, I have heard that oftentimes a person's ministry arises from the pain that God has walked with them through and their mistakes that God has redeemed for His good. As I grow older and gain that wonderful-to-possess-but-often-agonizing-to-obtain quality known as "life experience", I agree more and more. Our hurt can truly become a huge part of another's healing. Take a moment to soak in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV): "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." God lavishes Himself upon us in times of intense pain, certainly because He loves us, but also that, we will, in turn, pour His love, comfort, and strength into the hearts of those around us struggling to beat through a similar pain. Who is better qualified to counsel a rape victim than another who endured the same horrific experience only to find hope and healing in our Savior? Who could better understand a sister in Christ facing the betrayal of a so-called friend than another who has pulled that same proverbial knife from her back and found healing in the Great Physician? And here's an even deeper one for us to ponder: who has a better awareness of the daily death to self involved in serving God than the sinless One who prayed "...yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42) before taking the sin of the world upon His shoulders and dying on a cross that we sinners might live eternally (reference 1 Peter 2:24)? That's right. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that not only do we have sisters in Christ who have faced problems and trials as we do, but a Savior who has as well: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."
I'd like a drive-thru deliverance with a side of fries, please...
So, Mrs. Desert Rose, are you telling us that you rejoice when people cause you to think you are going bald from pulling your hair out over them? That you jump for joy when severe illness strikes your family? That you host a party every time your bills seem like mountains compared to your molehill budget? No, sweet sisters, I am not. God's Word does state in Romans 5:3-4: "...we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." But I know in my life, it is rarely easy to glory during the suffering. My flesh would much rather skip the suffering and pick up some perseverance, character, and hope in the drive-thru line at McDonald's along with a chocolate shake and an order of fries. It does not work that way, though. I can honestly assert, however, that the trials in my life, painful and non-joyous though they were/are, have largely assisted me in the ongoing process of maturing in Christ, sculpted me into a servant better fit for His service, and given me loads upon loads more sympathy for others facing trouble of any kind. I needed it. Sure as glory did not want it...desired a "drive-thru deliverance" with all my fleshly heart...but needed it. Even if only because someone else would need the lesson I learned from it all. I do not pretend to have a clue why you or I have both the minor annoyances and major heartbreaks that we do in this life, but I do believe whole-heartedly that God can and will use our pain for good and for His glory.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that our pain never goes unnoticed, unredeemed, or unused by You. Not only do You walk with us through the fire, but You graciously allow us to come out on the other side and help pull others through. Let us never forget what a blessing and honor it is to use our pain for others' healing and Your glory. Forgive us for too often repeatedly asking, "God, why did I go through that?" Instead, help us to ask, "God, who is going through something similar to what I did, and how can I help them in Your name?" Thank you, Jesus, for descending from glory, walking our sod, facing our trials, remaining perfect in spite of them, and taking on all of our filthy imperfections on an old rugged cross to save us all. Every time we think our hill to steep to climb, our cross too heavy to bear, remind us of Calvary, of Your sacrifice, Your love, and Your power that we are filled with because of it. God, life so often drags us down. Thank You for lifting us up and sending fellow Christians to do the same. May we always be obedient to do so for others. In Jesus' name, Amen!
Problem-free Barbie...I know someone who wants to be friends with you. Yes, you! Exciting, right? She is great. Smart, beautiful, funny, popular. You will love her. Well....there is one tiny thing wrong with her: the fact that there is nothing wrong with her. She and her husband never engage in World War III over dirty laundry covering the floor or the toilet seat lid being left up. Her children would not dream of disobeying her instruction, let alone turn into a pile of snot, tears, and screams over a bag of Cheetos in the middle of Wal-Mart. Struggles dealing with selecting carrot sticks over Triple Fudge Cake with a scoop of ice cream on the side do not exist in her world; healthy choices come naturally to her. Her checkbook balance is always exceedingly larger than the small stack of neatly piled bills on her kitchen counter.
...with matching daughter and accessories
For you younger readers, she has a daughter that would love to hang out with you, too. The only thing is, she is just like her mom. Her friends would not dream about tweeting about her being that "someone" that drives them crazy, makes them sick, is the biggest hypocrite they have ever known, you get my drift. She could have any guy she wants, and the one she has is just as gorgeous as she is, never pressures her to go anywhere she does not desire to, agrees with her every word, and never ignores her calls/texts because he is watching "the" football game or playing "Call of Duty". She never misses a three-pointer in basketball games, forgets to study for a quiz, or runs out of gas a mile from the nearest gas station. Oh, and she and her parents always see eye to eye on everything, her super-small sized Buckle jeans are never too tight, and she has yet to see a pimple appear on her face just before picture day.
No, thanks..I'll pass
So, what do you think? When is a good time for them to come over? I'm sorry, did I just hear you scream, "NEVER!!!" at the screen? Yeah, I thought so. Same here. Your ideas about people like that would most likely live in the realm of: A) "She is fake and hiding something...there's probably a body or two in her trunk and a plenty of skeletons in her closet behind those Buckle jeans." B) "I don't want to be friends with her. My imperfect self would soon become the first and biggest problem she's ever had!" C) "That chick and I would not have one thing in common. She doesn't have one problem, and many days, I have as many as a kid with chicken pox has spots." D) All of the above. Before we move forward, allow me to put your mind at ease with the following statement: this post is not a rant on nutritious food selections, wealthy folks, or Buckle jeans. Personally, I admire the steadfastly healthy, would love to be rich, and, in my mind, Buckle jeans are two hundred and one kinds of fabulous. Nor am I asserting that the above mentioned scenarios are the greatest problems in our world. The point that I am bordering on taking too long to make is that no one wants a BFF that does not know what it means to go through the fire of life's problems, both seemingly big and small, and come out with your split ends, eyelashes, and heart singed. And no one would dare seek out a person like that to minister to them.
From hurt to healing
For years, I have heard that oftentimes a person's ministry arises from the pain that God has walked with them through and their mistakes that God has redeemed for His good. As I grow older and gain that wonderful-to-possess-but-often-agonizing-to-obtain quality known as "life experience", I agree more and more. Our hurt can truly become a huge part of another's healing. Take a moment to soak in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV): "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." God lavishes Himself upon us in times of intense pain, certainly because He loves us, but also that, we will, in turn, pour His love, comfort, and strength into the hearts of those around us struggling to beat through a similar pain. Who is better qualified to counsel a rape victim than another who endured the same horrific experience only to find hope and healing in our Savior? Who could better understand a sister in Christ facing the betrayal of a so-called friend than another who has pulled that same proverbial knife from her back and found healing in the Great Physician? And here's an even deeper one for us to ponder: who has a better awareness of the daily death to self involved in serving God than the sinless One who prayed "...yet not my will, but yours be done" (Luke 22:42) before taking the sin of the world upon His shoulders and dying on a cross that we sinners might live eternally (reference 1 Peter 2:24)? That's right. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that not only do we have sisters in Christ who have faced problems and trials as we do, but a Savior who has as well: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin."
I'd like a drive-thru deliverance with a side of fries, please...
So, Mrs. Desert Rose, are you telling us that you rejoice when people cause you to think you are going bald from pulling your hair out over them? That you jump for joy when severe illness strikes your family? That you host a party every time your bills seem like mountains compared to your molehill budget? No, sweet sisters, I am not. God's Word does state in Romans 5:3-4: "...we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." But I know in my life, it is rarely easy to glory during the suffering. My flesh would much rather skip the suffering and pick up some perseverance, character, and hope in the drive-thru line at McDonald's along with a chocolate shake and an order of fries. It does not work that way, though. I can honestly assert, however, that the trials in my life, painful and non-joyous though they were/are, have largely assisted me in the ongoing process of maturing in Christ, sculpted me into a servant better fit for His service, and given me loads upon loads more sympathy for others facing trouble of any kind. I needed it. Sure as glory did not want it...desired a "drive-thru deliverance" with all my fleshly heart...but needed it. Even if only because someone else would need the lesson I learned from it all. I do not pretend to have a clue why you or I have both the minor annoyances and major heartbreaks that we do in this life, but I do believe whole-heartedly that God can and will use our pain for good and for His glory.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that our pain never goes unnoticed, unredeemed, or unused by You. Not only do You walk with us through the fire, but You graciously allow us to come out on the other side and help pull others through. Let us never forget what a blessing and honor it is to use our pain for others' healing and Your glory. Forgive us for too often repeatedly asking, "God, why did I go through that?" Instead, help us to ask, "God, who is going through something similar to what I did, and how can I help them in Your name?" Thank you, Jesus, for descending from glory, walking our sod, facing our trials, remaining perfect in spite of them, and taking on all of our filthy imperfections on an old rugged cross to save us all. Every time we think our hill to steep to climb, our cross too heavy to bear, remind us of Calvary, of Your sacrifice, Your love, and Your power that we are filled with because of it. God, life so often drags us down. Thank You for lifting us up and sending fellow Christians to do the same. May we always be obedient to do so for others. In Jesus' name, Amen!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
"You Could Ruin This" and other lies
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13
Scary white rectangles
Lately I have enjoyed making canvas paintings as gifts for friends and loved ones. Without question, the most daunting part of the process is gazing upon the initially blank white canvas. My mind is bursting with a vision of what I desire my trusty brush and colorful paints to create with that rectangle of possibility, but my heart simultaneously gurgles with dread over what a slip of my hand on what should be a steady line or an unexpected splatter of paint could do to my carefully made plan. I could ruin this painting. What I envision being an artistic combination of words, shapes, and emotion to hang on a friend's wall with pride could become an item not even finished and stuffed in a black plastic bag to be left by the road on trash day. It's not even the wasted money that would bother me most, though as someone who makes a whole-hearted attempt to be thrifty that would be a factor. The failure, that's what would sting. Trying and not succeeding. Visualizing an accomplishment and reality smashing that vision to bits. That fear keeps the canvas blank sometimes.
"You could ruin this"
Isn't that the way we often are when God calls us to a new task for His Kingdom? When He urges us to witness to a friend. When He commands that we drop a bad habit that we cling to like a worn out, smelly security blanket. When He gives instruction to step up into an area of ministry. When He issues a call that looks like a hand grenade to our comfort zone. Oh, we're equipped to handle it. God never asks anything of us that He has not placed within us to give (see Hebrews 13:20-21). He provides the vision, the canvas, the paint, the brush, and even His hand to guide our own, BUT He will not paint the picture for us. Our Lord desires willing servants, not robots programmed to perform without choice or emotion. Could He have created us that way? My highly sophisticated answer to that question is: duh! Of course He could've; He's GOD. If He willed it so, we could all be blue people with one leg and three eyes. I'm personally thankful that He did not make that choice, nor the choice to enslave His children with no will of their own. That He loved us enough to let us choose Him and His will. I don't know about you, but no matter how much I desire to please our God and do His will to the best of my ability through His strength, the sight of Him placing a blank canvas within my heart still scares me motionless (if only temporarily) at times. Even though I'm blissfully aware of the verse that provides the truth that God is "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20), I still hear Satan's seductive whisper masquerading as a reality check as I pick up my proverbial paint brush. "You could ruin this."
"You could ruin this friendship and the reputation of every Christian by trying to witness when you have no clue how to do so. Someone else will do it, someone better."
"You could ruin this comfort you have going by trying to get rid of this habit. It's not really that bad of a habit anyway. It makes you feel good, doesn't it?"
"You could ruin this ministry by taking part in it. You're not knowledgable enough, not holy enough, not trained enough, not popular enough, not good enough."
"You could ruin it all. Better safe than sorry. Best to stay where you are and not rock the boat."
Liar, Liar
Sound familiar? Oh, the devil's a professional liar. He's an expert in his field. Knows all the tricks of the trade and uses them to his full advantage. Partial truths...he plays on them. Painful fears...he exploits them. No wonder the Bible refers to him as "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44). The fact is that you and I CAN truly mess up a lot...if we attempt it on our own with no guidance by, inspiration from, and strength and wisdom through the Lord God Almighty. Even then, nothing is beyond His redemption, but that's not the case at hand. We're referring to the blank canvases that are handwritten invitations from God to do His bidding. Invitations addressed to us, His children, engraved with His power and anointing, stamped with His seal of approval, and sealed with His promise: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). Don't miss the "all" and the "through Christ" in that promise; those phrases are key in declining the devil's handwritten invitation to attend a pity party with some of his best friends: But-I-Might, But-I-Can't, and But-I-Won't. You don't want to hang out with those guys. Their names are weirder than most celebrity baby names, and they are serious downers. You and I are better off admitting to God that the blank canvas terrifies us (He's already aware anyway; it's that whole all-knowing thing He has going on), claiming Philippians 4:13 in the name of Jesus, and using that paint for what it was made to do. So what if you miss a stroke or splatter a little paint? That mistake just might turn out to be part of God's masterpiece.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the "blank canvases" in life, those handwritten invitations to do Your work, help grow Your kingdom, shine Your light into this dark world. Thank You that even though it can be intimidating, scary, and way out of our comfort zones, we never face one bit of it alone. You are always with us and within us...equipping us, strengthening us, guiding us, comforting us, and ultimately blessing us for our obedience to You. Help us to remember that even if there were no heavenly or earthly reward for following You and doing Your will, it is an honor and privilege to serve the God who created us, loved us, and therefore redeemed us through the blood of the Lamb. Enable us to see Satan's deceit for what it is and to combat his lies with Your truth. We want to paint works of art for You and with You, oh Lord. Help us, we pray. In Jesus's name, Amen!
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