Of all the great benefits of Facebook, I have to believe that one of the best is that it gives us just a tiny glimpse of what Heaven will be like. Just this week - through Facebook - I experienced one of those glimpses.
I'll start at the beginning. I committed my life to Christ when I was in the fifth grade. Although the actual moment of my repentance and salvation I remember vividly, I don't remember many details after that. One experience, however, came to my mind just a couple of years ago when I was doing a Beth Moore study. I was to chart my life and name significant spiritual events that God used to shape my life. As I was doing this and reflecting back on the early years of my faith, God brought to mind one particular Wednesday night. I had brought a friend to church with me, and at some point, she and I were in the sanctuary by ourselves, and I shared Christ with her. I don't remember what motivated me, I don't remember exactly what I said, and I don't remember her response. All I remember is that I shared. A year later, she and her family moved, and I hadn't been in touch with her since.
Fast forward almost twenty years, and I received a Facebook friend request from her. We caught up with a few emails and then, like most facebook friends, we keep up with one another by reading status updates. As time went on, I noticed that many of her status updates were of her faith: Bible verses, testimonies, her experience at her church. Eventually my curiosity got the best of me. I didn't recall her being raised in church, and I wanted to hear her testimony.
And she was glad to give it! Like me, she didn't recall many specifics of our conversation that night, but she shared that at that time she felt herself seeking God more and him seeking her. She started going to church with her landlords while she still lived in our hometown. Then a few years later, after she had moved from our hometown, she got involved in a church, was mentored by her youth pastor, and came to Christ in faith.
A couple of years ago, another significant event occured in her life. One day she was caring for her grandmother in the nursing home, and her grandmother, her grandmother's best friend, and her mom each came to faith in Christ.
Today she and her husband - who also wasn't raised in church - are raising their son in church and are faithful in following God.
How thrilled I was to read her testimony! But it also went beyond that for me. It served as a reminder that our being obedient to Christ in sharing him with others doesn't always produce the fruit that we will see right away. The point is that we are obedient. And the point is, it's not about me or what I do. It's about what God does. It's my job and privilege to obey; it's his job to bring the person to himself.
Which brings me back to Facebook and Heaven. If it hadn't been for Facebook, I probably wouldn't have known about my friend until our reunion in Heaven. I can only hope that throughout our lives we have been and will be obedient to Christ. And someday we'll get to meet again more people like my friend, whose lives God changed, in part because we were obedient. Obedient in sharing the gospel. Obedient to giving to ministries that send others to share the gospel. Obedient to the ultimate calling we have as Christians: to share the message of salvation through Christ Jesus.
Because we never know what seeds we're planting - or watering - and that God is causing to grow.
Showing posts with label Devotions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Devotions. Show all posts
Cherishing the Good News
I found myself pulling up my mother-in-law's blog again. I don't know why I was checking it because I knew what would be on there.
I guess I just wanted to hear the good news again.
My father-in-law has been fighting cancer for over two years, a cancer that should have overtaken him long ago. After setback upon setback this year, we received good news for a change. The tumor hadn't grown at all in the six months since his last scan, and most of that time he had no treatment.
First my husband called me, and then my father-in-law called me. Later I found myself wanting to hear the good news from my mother-in-law on her blog. I simply wanted to hear the good news over and over again.
That made me start to think abou the "ultimate" good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How often do I yearn to hear that good news over and over? I have to admit sometimes it's easy to mentally "check out" when I hear teaching or preaching about salvation. Tell me something I can use today.
Oh, how that must sadden Jesus who gave it all for me. May I never "get over" this priceless gift. May I be grateful every day that through his sacrifice I have hope in eternal salvation. May I never lose sight that I am saved from the punishment my sins deserve.
May I never tire of hearing the good news. May I want to hear it over and over.
I guess I just wanted to hear the good news again.
My father-in-law has been fighting cancer for over two years, a cancer that should have overtaken him long ago. After setback upon setback this year, we received good news for a change. The tumor hadn't grown at all in the six months since his last scan, and most of that time he had no treatment.
First my husband called me, and then my father-in-law called me. Later I found myself wanting to hear the good news from my mother-in-law on her blog. I simply wanted to hear the good news over and over again.
That made me start to think abou the "ultimate" good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How often do I yearn to hear that good news over and over? I have to admit sometimes it's easy to mentally "check out" when I hear teaching or preaching about salvation. Tell me something I can use today.
Oh, how that must sadden Jesus who gave it all for me. May I never "get over" this priceless gift. May I be grateful every day that through his sacrifice I have hope in eternal salvation. May I never lose sight that I am saved from the punishment my sins deserve.
May I never tire of hearing the good news. May I want to hear it over and over.
Sharing in Spite of Fear
Although my hands weren't shaking, they might as well have been. The butterflies in my stomach slowly started to calm. I am embarrassed to even admit the reason for my nervousness.
I just had shared Christ with a coworker.
Don't get me wrong. I have shared my faith plenty of times, but usually it was in the context of one of the following:
I had been praying for "Amy" since she started working in the same office as me a few months prior. I talked about church and tried to be the best example I could be, in the hopes a topic about God would come up. I had tried to build a relationship with her, hoping that the better we got to know one another, the better opportunity I would have. Interestingly, the more we worked together, the harder it became.
Yet lately God has been making me really uncomfortable with my laissez-faire attitude about sharing Christ. Jesus didn't wait for opportunities. He initiated conversations. He didn't tell his disciples to be a good witness because they might be the only Bible some might read. He told them to go and tell.
Yet this conviction didn't make all my fear disappear. Recently I had to take my husband in for a surgical procedure. True to my introvert nature, I just wanted to study for my next lesson I would be teaching at church and maybe read a magazine. My plans did not involve being ready to share my faith with the hospital worker who wanted to small-talk. Perfect opportunity. And just like Jonah, I ran the other way.
After intense conviction over this lost opportunity, I repented and asked God to give me the opportunity to initiate a conversation with Amy, my coworker. Still fearful, I was determined to obey this time.
Before heading to work this morning, I received a text that the other coworker who is in the office with Amy and me wouldn't be coming in. I then realized that Amy and I would be alone in the office. God brought to mind phrases from Ephesians 6 I had read this morning. "Stand firm...with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." "Pray that I may declare [the gospel] fearlessly." And to top it all off, a song came on the radio at that moment with the words "Don't forget why you're here."
So at the first opportunity, butterflies and all, I shared with Amy. She was receptive, and although she hasn't made a decision yet, I pray for her, that she will come to know Christ's saving grace.
And as the butterflies started to calm, I was at peace. I obeyed. I did my part. Now it's the Holy Spirit's turn to do his.
That is, until the next opportunity arises.
I just had shared Christ with a coworker.
Don't get me wrong. I have shared my faith plenty of times, but usually it was in the context of one of the following:
- a mission trip
- a church function
- a religious conversation where the topic happened to come up
I had been praying for "Amy" since she started working in the same office as me a few months prior. I talked about church and tried to be the best example I could be, in the hopes a topic about God would come up. I had tried to build a relationship with her, hoping that the better we got to know one another, the better opportunity I would have. Interestingly, the more we worked together, the harder it became.
Yet lately God has been making me really uncomfortable with my laissez-faire attitude about sharing Christ. Jesus didn't wait for opportunities. He initiated conversations. He didn't tell his disciples to be a good witness because they might be the only Bible some might read. He told them to go and tell.
Yet this conviction didn't make all my fear disappear. Recently I had to take my husband in for a surgical procedure. True to my introvert nature, I just wanted to study for my next lesson I would be teaching at church and maybe read a magazine. My plans did not involve being ready to share my faith with the hospital worker who wanted to small-talk. Perfect opportunity. And just like Jonah, I ran the other way.
After intense conviction over this lost opportunity, I repented and asked God to give me the opportunity to initiate a conversation with Amy, my coworker. Still fearful, I was determined to obey this time.
Before heading to work this morning, I received a text that the other coworker who is in the office with Amy and me wouldn't be coming in. I then realized that Amy and I would be alone in the office. God brought to mind phrases from Ephesians 6 I had read this morning. "Stand firm...with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." "Pray that I may declare [the gospel] fearlessly." And to top it all off, a song came on the radio at that moment with the words "Don't forget why you're here."
So at the first opportunity, butterflies and all, I shared with Amy. She was receptive, and although she hasn't made a decision yet, I pray for her, that she will come to know Christ's saving grace.
And as the butterflies started to calm, I was at peace. I obeyed. I did my part. Now it's the Holy Spirit's turn to do his.
That is, until the next opportunity arises.
Miracles
Do you ever read about the life of Jesus and wonder why we don't see miracles like that today? Everywhere Jesus went, he preached and healed. And healed. And healed. I'm sure there are many reasons why a big portion of Jesus' mission was healing, but today I am struck with one.
Mark 6:5-6 says, "He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith."
Out of all the places Jesus preached and healed, the one place in which he didn't heal many people was his hometown. These people simply couldn't believe in him. They had seen him grow up. They knew his mother. They knew his brothers and sisters. They couldn't get past the facts to see the clear miracles this man was doing.
Because of their lack of faith, they didn't see miracles.
Sometimes we also can't get past the obvious facts to be able to see the miracles performed in our midst.
In the case of my father-in-law, we have a hard time seeing past the facts. The tumor is inoperable. The chemotherapy nor radiation has eliminated the tumor. His body is taking an incredible toll from this over 2 year fight.
Yet the miracles are there. My mother-in-law could list many more but here are the ones I have witnessed. Last fall, I had to see a specialist, the same one who initially diagnosed Mike's liver tumor. His nurse remembered Mike, even over a year later, and asked how my husband was doing. I quickly corrected her, saying, "No, my father-in-law." After talking with her, I realized she hadn't made a mistake. She was asking how my husband was coping. When I told her my father-in-law was still in the fight, I'll never forget the joyous shock on her face.
Then this June I was in the emergency room with the family when Mike was taken in with some very frightening symptoms. I saw the faces of the ER doctors that my mother-in-law had been describing for the past two years. No one expected him to make it out of that hospital. The look in their eyes told it all.
Yes, God is performing miracles. Even miracles of healing. Perhaps not the healing where he is cancer free, but healing nonetheless. And God is gaining the glory in countless ways. He is gaining glory through my mother-in-law's blog as she shares their fight, their struggle, and every prayer need that's met. He is gaining glory through the love shown by the church, their local one and the body of believers around the country.
And really, isn't that what miracles are always all about anyway? Giving glory to God? Whether it be in my family's fight or in Jesus's earthly ministry, the whole purpose is to point to God, the one who loves us all and gave his only Son Jesus to save us from our sins that destine us to eternal hell.
The one who has so much love that He will allow his precious children to suffer like this in order to bring others to His saving grace. I'll tell you, I'd have an awful hard time allowing my child to suffer for someone else's benefit, but that's exactly what God is doing.
I'm convinced as long as God keeps granting miracles in Mike's life, there is at least one more person God is pursuing. Maybe it's you?
And you betcha, I'm praying for the ultimate miracle in Mike's earthly life.
Mark 6:5-6 says, "He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith."
Out of all the places Jesus preached and healed, the one place in which he didn't heal many people was his hometown. These people simply couldn't believe in him. They had seen him grow up. They knew his mother. They knew his brothers and sisters. They couldn't get past the facts to see the clear miracles this man was doing.
Because of their lack of faith, they didn't see miracles.
Sometimes we also can't get past the obvious facts to be able to see the miracles performed in our midst.
In the case of my father-in-law, we have a hard time seeing past the facts. The tumor is inoperable. The chemotherapy nor radiation has eliminated the tumor. His body is taking an incredible toll from this over 2 year fight.
Yet the miracles are there. My mother-in-law could list many more but here are the ones I have witnessed. Last fall, I had to see a specialist, the same one who initially diagnosed Mike's liver tumor. His nurse remembered Mike, even over a year later, and asked how my husband was doing. I quickly corrected her, saying, "No, my father-in-law." After talking with her, I realized she hadn't made a mistake. She was asking how my husband was coping. When I told her my father-in-law was still in the fight, I'll never forget the joyous shock on her face.
Then this June I was in the emergency room with the family when Mike was taken in with some very frightening symptoms. I saw the faces of the ER doctors that my mother-in-law had been describing for the past two years. No one expected him to make it out of that hospital. The look in their eyes told it all.
Yes, God is performing miracles. Even miracles of healing. Perhaps not the healing where he is cancer free, but healing nonetheless. And God is gaining the glory in countless ways. He is gaining glory through my mother-in-law's blog as she shares their fight, their struggle, and every prayer need that's met. He is gaining glory through the love shown by the church, their local one and the body of believers around the country.
And really, isn't that what miracles are always all about anyway? Giving glory to God? Whether it be in my family's fight or in Jesus's earthly ministry, the whole purpose is to point to God, the one who loves us all and gave his only Son Jesus to save us from our sins that destine us to eternal hell.
The one who has so much love that He will allow his precious children to suffer like this in order to bring others to His saving grace. I'll tell you, I'd have an awful hard time allowing my child to suffer for someone else's benefit, but that's exactly what God is doing.
I'm convinced as long as God keeps granting miracles in Mike's life, there is at least one more person God is pursuing. Maybe it's you?
And you betcha, I'm praying for the ultimate miracle in Mike's earthly life.
Aunt Lenora
While getting dressed this Monday morning, I couldn't help but feel a little excited about today. I was going to a funeral. Yes, I know what you're thinking, but this was going to be no ordinary memorial service for me. My dad's aunt, Lenora Gray, went to be with her Savior, and we were going to be celebrating her past life on earth and her present life in heaven. I only had the pleasure of visiting with this godly woman a few times growing up, but she always impressed me as a gracious, God-fearing lady.
As I anticipated the service, the memory of her husband's funeral 13 years ago was still fresh in my mind. Uncle Herman's service was one of the most meaningful funerals I had ever attended. It was a celebration. After a fight with cancer, my godly uncle received the ultimate healing, and to a bystander his service would have appeared more like a worship service than a memorial. At 16 years of age, it impacted me.
And today, I was sure I would experience another celebration, of a Christ-follower passing from this life to the life Christ bought for her and for us all.
In the busyness of life, we need to be reminded that this life will end. We need to be challenged to tarry on for works that will endure for eternity. We need to be prodded to think about what legacy we will leave. Perhaps we should even reflect on what we anticipate our own funeral being like.
I, for one, want my funeral to be like Uncle Herman's and Aunt Lenora's. Where you can't tell the difference between it and a worship service. Where the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached. Where God is glorified. Where my family, though they will miss me, will praise Jesus that we have hope of spending eternity together in the presence of the One who created us all.
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints" (Psalm 116:15)
As I anticipated the service, the memory of her husband's funeral 13 years ago was still fresh in my mind. Uncle Herman's service was one of the most meaningful funerals I had ever attended. It was a celebration. After a fight with cancer, my godly uncle received the ultimate healing, and to a bystander his service would have appeared more like a worship service than a memorial. At 16 years of age, it impacted me.
And today, I was sure I would experience another celebration, of a Christ-follower passing from this life to the life Christ bought for her and for us all.
In the busyness of life, we need to be reminded that this life will end. We need to be challenged to tarry on for works that will endure for eternity. We need to be prodded to think about what legacy we will leave. Perhaps we should even reflect on what we anticipate our own funeral being like.
I, for one, want my funeral to be like Uncle Herman's and Aunt Lenora's. Where you can't tell the difference between it and a worship service. Where the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ is preached. Where God is glorified. Where my family, though they will miss me, will praise Jesus that we have hope of spending eternity together in the presence of the One who created us all.
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints" (Psalm 116:15)
Gifts
I am a huge fan of gift registries. Every time I hear of a wedding or a baby shower, I immediately ask, "Where are they registered?" If someone dares not register for their big event, I'm lost.
Along the same line, when I finally got that diamond on my left hand and that stick turned pink, I counted the days til I could register for my big event. Especially as a young bride, I couldn't wait to see who got what off my registry.
It was beyond my imagination that someone would choose not to buy off a registry. So for a wedding gift, when I received this 2-quart round casserole dish with a plastic cover, my first [incredibly spoiled brat selfish] thought was, "but didn't you see that I registered for a different casserole dish?"
The same thing happened 5 years later when I was expecting Drew. Though a little more mature and appreciative of each gift chosen for me, I was simply perplexed when I opened the gift and discovered UNSCENTED Huggies baby wash and lotion. Are you kidding? I wanted my baby smelling so good that people would want to hold him just to smell him. What in the world was I going to do with UNSCENTED baby wash and lotion? (Eventually, having never opened neither, I ended up giving the baby wash to Matt when he ran out of shampoo for the dogs.)
The lotion was a different story, much like the casserole dish. The casserole dish ended up being an item I have used consistently for 8 years. Long after the glasses on my registry had broken, the color schemes in my bathrooms have changed, and the theme in my kitchen had switched, my trusty casserole dish has been true to me the whole time.
And the lotion turned out to be a life-saver. When Drew was a young toddler, he started itching from eczema, especially at night. I tried the lotions Drew's pediatrician recommended, but they didn't take care of the problem. Oatmeal baths seemed to help a little but still didn't get him through the night. Finally, in my desperation, I turned to the UNSCENTED Huggies lotion, and voila, Drew could sleep the entire night without itching. All thanks to someone who chose not to check my registry.
Aren't we like that with God sometimes? We think we know exactly what we need, so we give him our requests. Then we're disappointed, and sometimes angry, when he doesn't go right by our list.
What we don't realize, sometimes til much later and maybe sometimes never, is that God always has a reason for everything he does...or chooses not to do.
In June 2005 I asked God to allow me to conceive a child. He didn't answer my prayer until December of that year because he used that time to show me how to pray for my Drew, even before he was conceived.
I asked God to grant my dreams of a powerful women's ministry, but instead he gave me a small mom's group in my church, because he knew I would implode under the pressure of a large ministry, and I had - and still have - a lot of maturing to do.
I asked God to give me the friendship I wanted with someone, but instead he chose to point out several flaws in myself that wouldn't have been revealed in one of my friendships that just "clicked." He taught me that if I work hard at relationships that aren't so "easy," he can create a love that I could have never imagined and that above all, glorifies him.
"Every good and perfect gift comes from above" (James 1:17). God will not deny us our requests unless there is a greater purpose - a purpose to glorify him and a purpose that is better for us. And truly, those two purposes are one in the same for a child of God.
So, every time I use my casserole dish or smooth the unscented lotion on Drew's skin, I am reminded that God doesn't always give me everything that I ask. Like any good Father, he wants us to come to him with our requests, but we must trust that if he is silent on a request, he has a greater plan.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Along the same line, when I finally got that diamond on my left hand and that stick turned pink, I counted the days til I could register for my big event. Especially as a young bride, I couldn't wait to see who got what off my registry.
It was beyond my imagination that someone would choose not to buy off a registry. So for a wedding gift, when I received this 2-quart round casserole dish with a plastic cover, my first [incredibly spoiled brat selfish] thought was, "but didn't you see that I registered for a different casserole dish?"
The same thing happened 5 years later when I was expecting Drew. Though a little more mature and appreciative of each gift chosen for me, I was simply perplexed when I opened the gift and discovered UNSCENTED Huggies baby wash and lotion. Are you kidding? I wanted my baby smelling so good that people would want to hold him just to smell him. What in the world was I going to do with UNSCENTED baby wash and lotion? (Eventually, having never opened neither, I ended up giving the baby wash to Matt when he ran out of shampoo for the dogs.)
The lotion was a different story, much like the casserole dish. The casserole dish ended up being an item I have used consistently for 8 years. Long after the glasses on my registry had broken, the color schemes in my bathrooms have changed, and the theme in my kitchen had switched, my trusty casserole dish has been true to me the whole time.
And the lotion turned out to be a life-saver. When Drew was a young toddler, he started itching from eczema, especially at night. I tried the lotions Drew's pediatrician recommended, but they didn't take care of the problem. Oatmeal baths seemed to help a little but still didn't get him through the night. Finally, in my desperation, I turned to the UNSCENTED Huggies lotion, and voila, Drew could sleep the entire night without itching. All thanks to someone who chose not to check my registry.
Aren't we like that with God sometimes? We think we know exactly what we need, so we give him our requests. Then we're disappointed, and sometimes angry, when he doesn't go right by our list.
What we don't realize, sometimes til much later and maybe sometimes never, is that God always has a reason for everything he does...or chooses not to do.
In June 2005 I asked God to allow me to conceive a child. He didn't answer my prayer until December of that year because he used that time to show me how to pray for my Drew, even before he was conceived.
I asked God to grant my dreams of a powerful women's ministry, but instead he gave me a small mom's group in my church, because he knew I would implode under the pressure of a large ministry, and I had - and still have - a lot of maturing to do.
I asked God to give me the friendship I wanted with someone, but instead he chose to point out several flaws in myself that wouldn't have been revealed in one of my friendships that just "clicked." He taught me that if I work hard at relationships that aren't so "easy," he can create a love that I could have never imagined and that above all, glorifies him.
"Every good and perfect gift comes from above" (James 1:17). God will not deny us our requests unless there is a greater purpose - a purpose to glorify him and a purpose that is better for us. And truly, those two purposes are one in the same for a child of God.
So, every time I use my casserole dish or smooth the unscented lotion on Drew's skin, I am reminded that God doesn't always give me everything that I ask. Like any good Father, he wants us to come to him with our requests, but we must trust that if he is silent on a request, he has a greater plan.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
The Old Box
After three months of living in our new home, I am still unpacking boxes. Yesterday, while cleaning out yet another, I came across a beautiful gold and purple box. Not remembering what was inside, I opened the box, remembering why I never threw it out.
Inside the 8" square box was a hand-written note that said, "Jill, I wanted to get you a little gift for Valentine but did not have a chance to shop. Thanks for your encouraging letters. [Your family is] special. Love you, Pauline S." Beneath the note was an old multi-colored scarf in perfect condition, a maroon and gold beaded necklace, and a box of heart-shaped soaps that must have been older than me.
Miss Pauline was a homebound elderly lady whom I "adopted" as a teenager through "Adopt a Grandparent" at our church. It turns out this never-married lady ended up "adopting" me.
Though we lived just a few miles apart, Miss Pauline and I exchanged letters regularly, and my mom would take me to visit her from time to time. I don't recall what we ever talked about but I do remember how much time and love she invested in me.
I probably didn't really appreciate the gift she gave me that Valentine's Day. But looking back, it was a gift from her heart. In her Christ-like agape love for me, she took from her own belongings to give me this gift. Looking back, this gift was just one example of how she did her best to pour her life into mine.
Though the scarf, necklace, and even the soaps are probably considered antiques by now, Pauline's gift is a tangible reminder for me of how the God wants me to pour my life into others so they will know how great His love truly is.
May I always be reminded of this when I see this old box.
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).
Inside the 8" square box was a hand-written note that said, "Jill, I wanted to get you a little gift for Valentine but did not have a chance to shop. Thanks for your encouraging letters. [Your family is] special. Love you, Pauline S." Beneath the note was an old multi-colored scarf in perfect condition, a maroon and gold beaded necklace, and a box of heart-shaped soaps that must have been older than me.
Miss Pauline was a homebound elderly lady whom I "adopted" as a teenager through "Adopt a Grandparent" at our church. It turns out this never-married lady ended up "adopting" me.
Though we lived just a few miles apart, Miss Pauline and I exchanged letters regularly, and my mom would take me to visit her from time to time. I don't recall what we ever talked about but I do remember how much time and love she invested in me.
I probably didn't really appreciate the gift she gave me that Valentine's Day. But looking back, it was a gift from her heart. In her Christ-like agape love for me, she took from her own belongings to give me this gift. Looking back, this gift was just one example of how she did her best to pour her life into mine.
Though the scarf, necklace, and even the soaps are probably considered antiques by now, Pauline's gift is a tangible reminder for me of how the God wants me to pour my life into others so they will know how great His love truly is.
May I always be reminded of this when I see this old box.
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).
Roles in Check
"Father, father! Guess what just happened!" I could barely contain my excitement as I breathed the prayer. I had just had an opportunity to talk to a coworker about Christ. Although it didn't go as far as I'd like, I felt I was still able to make in-roads with this man who was trying to do everything he could to politely refute my beliefs.
I was as giddy as a schoolgirl, telling God about my whole conversation, just like I would tell a friend about an exciting event. Then as I calmed a notch, I'm pretty sure God was chuckling at me. The obvious rushed over me, and if God were sitting beside me in human form, I'm sure he would have said, "Yeah, Jill, I know. I am the one who started that conversation, remember?"
A few months ago, as I was reading in the book of John, I saw another perspective of a familiar story. Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well (John 4) is one we can probably summarize by heart. But when I read this again, I saw something I hadn't seen before. After Jesus told the woman that he was the Christ, she went and told the people of her town about Jesus. Some became believers in him right then. And some went to see him themselves:
"They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world'" (John 4:42).
What was the responsibility of this woman? It was to tell people who Jesus was, period. Her responsibility wasn't to make them believe. Only after personally meeting and hearing Jesus did the people believe in him.
Sometimes it's easy to view our responsibility in evangelism like the President sending troops into battle. It's our job and we are to do it, and we report back our progress. But we don't serve a God who sends us into battle. He goes with us. He empowers us. He gives us the words to say. And HE wins the battle when he convicts hearts and draws people to him. Our job is only to be the vessel, being obedient to the call.
After my conversation with my coworker, I found myself pleading with God, "Father, work in his heart." And I'm sure God was thinking with a smile, "My child, I already have been."
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44).
I was as giddy as a schoolgirl, telling God about my whole conversation, just like I would tell a friend about an exciting event. Then as I calmed a notch, I'm pretty sure God was chuckling at me. The obvious rushed over me, and if God were sitting beside me in human form, I'm sure he would have said, "Yeah, Jill, I know. I am the one who started that conversation, remember?"
A few months ago, as I was reading in the book of John, I saw another perspective of a familiar story. Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well (John 4) is one we can probably summarize by heart. But when I read this again, I saw something I hadn't seen before. After Jesus told the woman that he was the Christ, she went and told the people of her town about Jesus. Some became believers in him right then. And some went to see him themselves:
"They said to the woman, 'We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world'" (John 4:42).
What was the responsibility of this woman? It was to tell people who Jesus was, period. Her responsibility wasn't to make them believe. Only after personally meeting and hearing Jesus did the people believe in him.
Sometimes it's easy to view our responsibility in evangelism like the President sending troops into battle. It's our job and we are to do it, and we report back our progress. But we don't serve a God who sends us into battle. He goes with us. He empowers us. He gives us the words to say. And HE wins the battle when he convicts hearts and draws people to him. Our job is only to be the vessel, being obedient to the call.
After my conversation with my coworker, I found myself pleading with God, "Father, work in his heart." And I'm sure God was thinking with a smile, "My child, I already have been."
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44).
A Personal Encounter
A couple of months ago, I got an email from my friend Tiffany's husband Chris. He asked me to clear my calendar so I could go with Tiffany to a Third Day concert as a surprise for her. (As you can imagine, my calendar was cleared in about 5 minutes!)
I knew of Third Day. Their most recent song "Revelation" is played on the radio all the time and has been a real encouragement to me. Third Day also had many other songs that I had heard throughout the years. But the problem was, I honestly couldn't name one of those songs as I was anticipating that concert.
But then at the concert, I realized the most interesting thing. Almost every song they played I could sing along with. I knew the lyrics by heart. I just never knew the band until I had seen them in person.
After the concert, I noticed on the radio how many Third Day songs were played on a daily basis. A lot of them! But this time each time I listened to one, it was different. I knew the band. I had seen them in person. I couldn't mistake one of their songs for another again.
Isn't that the way some of us are with God? As we live our life, God is speaking all around us, but until we have a personal encounter with him, we won't recognize his voice.
We could be able to quote Bible verses and Bible stories, but until we know the author, it's just like any other historical document.
You see, after I saw Third Day in person, their music came alive. I began to see trends in their music and in their lyrics. I gleaned their central message. I saw their passion.
Similarly, after I had a personal experience with Christ, his "lyrics" came alive. His living Word speaks directly to my heart. All because I have had a personal encounter.
(My prayer is that anyone reading this blog has had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It is absolutely life-changing, both here and eternally. We were born sinful and in desperate need for a Savior. God became flesh through Jesus Christ, and he became the sacrifice necessary for our sins. Because of this sacrifice, we can inherit eternal life. Our responsibility is to believe on Jesus Christ as our Savior and make him Lord of our lives. If you haven't done this, I would love to speak to you more about it!)
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18
I knew of Third Day. Their most recent song "Revelation" is played on the radio all the time and has been a real encouragement to me. Third Day also had many other songs that I had heard throughout the years. But the problem was, I honestly couldn't name one of those songs as I was anticipating that concert.
But then at the concert, I realized the most interesting thing. Almost every song they played I could sing along with. I knew the lyrics by heart. I just never knew the band until I had seen them in person.
After the concert, I noticed on the radio how many Third Day songs were played on a daily basis. A lot of them! But this time each time I listened to one, it was different. I knew the band. I had seen them in person. I couldn't mistake one of their songs for another again.
Isn't that the way some of us are with God? As we live our life, God is speaking all around us, but until we have a personal encounter with him, we won't recognize his voice.
We could be able to quote Bible verses and Bible stories, but until we know the author, it's just like any other historical document.
You see, after I saw Third Day in person, their music came alive. I began to see trends in their music and in their lyrics. I gleaned their central message. I saw their passion.
Similarly, after I had a personal experience with Christ, his "lyrics" came alive. His living Word speaks directly to my heart. All because I have had a personal encounter.
(My prayer is that anyone reading this blog has had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. It is absolutely life-changing, both here and eternally. We were born sinful and in desperate need for a Savior. God became flesh through Jesus Christ, and he became the sacrifice necessary for our sins. Because of this sacrifice, we can inherit eternal life. Our responsibility is to believe on Jesus Christ as our Savior and make him Lord of our lives. If you haven't done this, I would love to speak to you more about it!)
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18
Wait for the Lord
Wait for the Lord. Many verses in the Bible give us this encouragement. Yet when times come where “waiting for the Lord” seems to be the only option left, we might be left to wonder what this exactly means.
Through recent circumstances, I felt God nudging me study the verses commanding us to wait for him. I desired to gain a clearer understanding of what exactly was meant by these verses. My initial findings confused me more. Different Bible versions translate this word “hope” instead of wait. So what is that supposed to mean? Are we supposed to wait or hope?
Through deeper study I saw that the neither “wait” nor “hope” were adequate terms to describe this context. The Amplified Bible gives some examples of what this word actually means: wait and hope for and expect, wait earnestly, wait for and expect, hope and wait eagerly, expectantly wait.
We tend to think of waiting as sitting still. It implies no action. We sit on our hands expecting something to happen. Many times we’re anxious or irritated at the thought of waiting. Sometimes we’re patient. Sometimes we’re not.
But if we’re waiting for the Lord, inactivity is the last thing on His mind. He wants us to be waiting expectantly and earnestly. He wants our focus to be on seeking Him and looking to His Word. Consider Psalm 119:166-169: “I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands. I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly. I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you. May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word.” (NIV)
What should our purpose be while we’re waiting expectantly and earnestly for the Lord? Isaiah 26:8 says, “Yes, LORD, walking in the ways of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.”
Many of us are presently waiting for God in different areas of our lives, and we can take to heart that God doesn’t want us idly waiting for Him. He wants us to wait expectantly and earnestly, with hope in the amazing things he has planned.
Through recent circumstances, I felt God nudging me study the verses commanding us to wait for him. I desired to gain a clearer understanding of what exactly was meant by these verses. My initial findings confused me more. Different Bible versions translate this word “hope” instead of wait. So what is that supposed to mean? Are we supposed to wait or hope?
Through deeper study I saw that the neither “wait” nor “hope” were adequate terms to describe this context. The Amplified Bible gives some examples of what this word actually means: wait and hope for and expect, wait earnestly, wait for and expect, hope and wait eagerly, expectantly wait.
We tend to think of waiting as sitting still. It implies no action. We sit on our hands expecting something to happen. Many times we’re anxious or irritated at the thought of waiting. Sometimes we’re patient. Sometimes we’re not.
But if we’re waiting for the Lord, inactivity is the last thing on His mind. He wants us to be waiting expectantly and earnestly. He wants our focus to be on seeking Him and looking to His Word. Consider Psalm 119:166-169: “I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands. I obey your statutes, for I love them greatly. I obey your precepts and your statutes, for all my ways are known to you. May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word.” (NIV)
What should our purpose be while we’re waiting expectantly and earnestly for the Lord? Isaiah 26:8 says, “Yes, LORD, walking in the ways of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.”
Many of us are presently waiting for God in different areas of our lives, and we can take to heart that God doesn’t want us idly waiting for Him. He wants us to wait expectantly and earnestly, with hope in the amazing things he has planned.
Not in My Own Strength
Focal Verse: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
After a busy weekend with working, church activities, and other responsibilities, I looked forward to this afternoon when I got home from church. It was my first chance all weekend to take a breath. Drew would take his usual 2-hour nap, and I could study for my Wednesday night Mom's class and relax.
Except it didn't turn out that way. Drew refused to take a nap, and in the middle of the day I had an allergy attack. Since my husband is working nights and was asleep in our house, I couldn't get any relief from my sneezing, stuffiness, and itchy eyes. I was simply exhausted and was becoming very irritable.
When Matt finally woke up, I vented to him about how exhausted I was. Looking back, he was very gracious considering he has been the one working the 12-hour night shift. He shared with me - in the most loving way - that he thought I had overcommitted myself, namely at church. And because I was so overwhelmed, I was snappy at my son and irritable altogether. I could see where he was coming from, but I told him that I felt that God had led me to minister through each activity I was a part of.
As I was thinking about how nice it would be to leave church after I finished the class I was teaching -- just so I could get a break before I begin my workweek tomorrow -- God whispered, "Jill, I didn't ask you to do all this in your own strength. I am the strength you need."
Encouraged, I headed to church. My spirit was strengthened by the message and I went home with an energy I haven't felt all weekend.
I was amazed at how easy it was to default to doing everything in my own strength, without realizing that it's just not possible. I've always heard it said, "When God calls, he always equips." Tonight I learned a new dimension of God's call: When God calls, he calls us to that which is impossible to do in our own strength, so we'll never forget that we must depend on him.
You see, it's not about what I can do for God. It's about what he - and only he - can do through me.
After a busy weekend with working, church activities, and other responsibilities, I looked forward to this afternoon when I got home from church. It was my first chance all weekend to take a breath. Drew would take his usual 2-hour nap, and I could study for my Wednesday night Mom's class and relax.
Except it didn't turn out that way. Drew refused to take a nap, and in the middle of the day I had an allergy attack. Since my husband is working nights and was asleep in our house, I couldn't get any relief from my sneezing, stuffiness, and itchy eyes. I was simply exhausted and was becoming very irritable.
When Matt finally woke up, I vented to him about how exhausted I was. Looking back, he was very gracious considering he has been the one working the 12-hour night shift. He shared with me - in the most loving way - that he thought I had overcommitted myself, namely at church. And because I was so overwhelmed, I was snappy at my son and irritable altogether. I could see where he was coming from, but I told him that I felt that God had led me to minister through each activity I was a part of.
As I was thinking about how nice it would be to leave church after I finished the class I was teaching -- just so I could get a break before I begin my workweek tomorrow -- God whispered, "Jill, I didn't ask you to do all this in your own strength. I am the strength you need."
Encouraged, I headed to church. My spirit was strengthened by the message and I went home with an energy I haven't felt all weekend.
I was amazed at how easy it was to default to doing everything in my own strength, without realizing that it's just not possible. I've always heard it said, "When God calls, he always equips." Tonight I learned a new dimension of God's call: When God calls, he calls us to that which is impossible to do in our own strength, so we'll never forget that we must depend on him.
You see, it's not about what I can do for God. It's about what he - and only he - can do through me.
Silence
Focal Verse: "After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12)"
My husband Matt was working the night shift, and I had just put Drew to bed. I started washing some leftover dishes when it started to drive me crazy.
Silence.
I wanted to turn the TV on simply for some noise, but I had decided that this night the TV was staying off. Then I was about to turn on some new [Christian] songs I downloaded on itunes, but that may have woken Drew up. And of course, my ipod and headphones were in the car. So there I was left with what was driving me crazy. Silence.
At our Mom to Mom class last night, one of the moms mentioned how every time her family is home the TV comes on, sometimes just for noise. I could definitely relate because our house is the same way. I've become so accustomed to the TV lulling in the background that when it's not on, it feels like something is missing. I'm the same way in the car. I've always got to have music on. It just doesn't feel right to have the audio system in the "off" mode.
So tonight when I was washing dishes, I decided I would make the best of the silence that was driving me crazy. I started praying for someone who had been on my heart all day. God started impressing on my heart how I should start handling some things a little better. I started praying for every person God put on my heart. I started giving my worries to God and praying about them.
What had been a miserable silence turned into a heart dialogue with God. Just in a matter of minutes, I had new perspectives on many of my worries, and God gave me a peace about things I had been burdened about all day. I was able to lift up prayer requests from last night's Mom to Mom group that I may not have remembered otherwise. All in just a matter of minutes while washing dishes.
I wonder how many of those moments do I miss because I just can't stand silence. How many times would God love to talk to me, but he can't get through?
Of course I'm not going to go chunk my TV in the garbage, but I am going to rethink when I push the "on" button. If I can start weaning myself off of the need for noise, I might just hear more of God's voice through the silence.
My husband Matt was working the night shift, and I had just put Drew to bed. I started washing some leftover dishes when it started to drive me crazy.
Silence.
I wanted to turn the TV on simply for some noise, but I had decided that this night the TV was staying off. Then I was about to turn on some new [Christian] songs I downloaded on itunes, but that may have woken Drew up. And of course, my ipod and headphones were in the car. So there I was left with what was driving me crazy. Silence.
At our Mom to Mom class last night, one of the moms mentioned how every time her family is home the TV comes on, sometimes just for noise. I could definitely relate because our house is the same way. I've become so accustomed to the TV lulling in the background that when it's not on, it feels like something is missing. I'm the same way in the car. I've always got to have music on. It just doesn't feel right to have the audio system in the "off" mode.
So tonight when I was washing dishes, I decided I would make the best of the silence that was driving me crazy. I started praying for someone who had been on my heart all day. God started impressing on my heart how I should start handling some things a little better. I started praying for every person God put on my heart. I started giving my worries to God and praying about them.
What had been a miserable silence turned into a heart dialogue with God. Just in a matter of minutes, I had new perspectives on many of my worries, and God gave me a peace about things I had been burdened about all day. I was able to lift up prayer requests from last night's Mom to Mom group that I may not have remembered otherwise. All in just a matter of minutes while washing dishes.
I wonder how many of those moments do I miss because I just can't stand silence. How many times would God love to talk to me, but he can't get through?
Of course I'm not going to go chunk my TV in the garbage, but I am going to rethink when I push the "on" button. If I can start weaning myself off of the need for noise, I might just hear more of God's voice through the silence.
Battling the Enemy
Focal Verse: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).
When I was in high school, my family's whole life revolved around basketball. My dad was the girls' basketball coach, and I was the starting point guard. Needless to say, basketball wasn't another activity. It was a passion.
When our team had a big game coming up against an opponent we had never played before, Dad and I would go "scout" this team as they played another team. We would learn what type of offense they used against different types of defenses. We learned what defenses they used. We learned their successful plays and their most threatening players. We discovered what they were good at and where their weak points were. By learning these things, we could prepare accordingly and mount our best offense and defense against the team. That way, when we played them, we were prepared and weren't caught off guard.
Somewhere in my Christian walk, I was told that sometimes we focus too much on our opponent, Satan, and the enemy's power than we do focusing on Christ and his power inside of us. Although this statement does have some truth, I took it to the extreme. For most of my Christian life, I completely ignored the power of the enemy and his influence in my life. I guess I thought if I ignored it then it didn't exist.
Oh how wrong I was. Thankfully God opened my eyes to the real presence of the enemy. God showed me where the enemy was alive and active in my life. What a disheartening realization, but thankfully, a necessary one. I learned that the enemy knew exactly which cards to play. He knew my weaknesses. He knew what pushed my buttons. He knew what to do to render me ineffective in my Christian walk. He knew how to distract me. Oh how I was such an easy target.
Armed with this newfound revelation, I became more aware of places I needed to be on guard. Specifically, I began to really pray about our Mom's group at church. I have been leading this group for a year and a half, and a couple of weeks ago we started a new study. The first night we had a record number with more and more moms coming. I could see God's hand working in lives of each of us. Yet I knew where God was working, the enemy couldn't be too far behind.
I started praying that God would govern my mouth as I taught. How easy would it have been for one careless word to slip my mouth that could offend someone? I started praying that the other girls' words would be kind to one another so each one would feel included. I prayed about everything within our group I could think of that might threaten the work God was doing.
But obviously I hadn't scouted my opponent because within the group was not where he chose to strike. He chose to strike at the leader in her home. How crafty. Create strife in my home and how can I be focused on leading this group to be more godly moms? You see, last weekend, my husband and I were bickering at every turn. At one point I opened my mouth one too many times and it led to hurt and coldness, but thankfully only for awhile.
I didn't need to be told twice that my struggle is not with flesh and blood. The enemy knows what I can do (or not do) that gets my husband riled up. He knows that Matt has a hard time fighting the temptation to let me know about it. And the enemy also knows how that makes me feel, and on goes the cycle.
Thankfully I was able to stop the cycle by realizing that my struggle wasn't against Matt. My heart softened and I started to see his point of view. As my heart softened, so did his. And we were fine... until the enemy chose to attack us again. But this time I was ready.
What I've learned is ignoring the enemy doesn't mean he isn't there. In my opinion, we're either (1) under attack and are with Christ's help defending against it, (2) under attack and don't realize it, and we're being defeated time and again, or (3) we're not being attacked because we're not a threat to the enemy.
It's not a fun feeling knowing that if I live my life for God, my whole life will be a battle, against the enemy or the sinful nature within me. But thankfully, I have the One who has already won the war on my side, fighting along with me.
When I was in high school, my family's whole life revolved around basketball. My dad was the girls' basketball coach, and I was the starting point guard. Needless to say, basketball wasn't another activity. It was a passion.
When our team had a big game coming up against an opponent we had never played before, Dad and I would go "scout" this team as they played another team. We would learn what type of offense they used against different types of defenses. We learned what defenses they used. We learned their successful plays and their most threatening players. We discovered what they were good at and where their weak points were. By learning these things, we could prepare accordingly and mount our best offense and defense against the team. That way, when we played them, we were prepared and weren't caught off guard.
Somewhere in my Christian walk, I was told that sometimes we focus too much on our opponent, Satan, and the enemy's power than we do focusing on Christ and his power inside of us. Although this statement does have some truth, I took it to the extreme. For most of my Christian life, I completely ignored the power of the enemy and his influence in my life. I guess I thought if I ignored it then it didn't exist.
Oh how wrong I was. Thankfully God opened my eyes to the real presence of the enemy. God showed me where the enemy was alive and active in my life. What a disheartening realization, but thankfully, a necessary one. I learned that the enemy knew exactly which cards to play. He knew my weaknesses. He knew what pushed my buttons. He knew what to do to render me ineffective in my Christian walk. He knew how to distract me. Oh how I was such an easy target.
Armed with this newfound revelation, I became more aware of places I needed to be on guard. Specifically, I began to really pray about our Mom's group at church. I have been leading this group for a year and a half, and a couple of weeks ago we started a new study. The first night we had a record number with more and more moms coming. I could see God's hand working in lives of each of us. Yet I knew where God was working, the enemy couldn't be too far behind.
I started praying that God would govern my mouth as I taught. How easy would it have been for one careless word to slip my mouth that could offend someone? I started praying that the other girls' words would be kind to one another so each one would feel included. I prayed about everything within our group I could think of that might threaten the work God was doing.
But obviously I hadn't scouted my opponent because within the group was not where he chose to strike. He chose to strike at the leader in her home. How crafty. Create strife in my home and how can I be focused on leading this group to be more godly moms? You see, last weekend, my husband and I were bickering at every turn. At one point I opened my mouth one too many times and it led to hurt and coldness, but thankfully only for awhile.
I didn't need to be told twice that my struggle is not with flesh and blood. The enemy knows what I can do (or not do) that gets my husband riled up. He knows that Matt has a hard time fighting the temptation to let me know about it. And the enemy also knows how that makes me feel, and on goes the cycle.
Thankfully I was able to stop the cycle by realizing that my struggle wasn't against Matt. My heart softened and I started to see his point of view. As my heart softened, so did his. And we were fine... until the enemy chose to attack us again. But this time I was ready.
What I've learned is ignoring the enemy doesn't mean he isn't there. In my opinion, we're either (1) under attack and are with Christ's help defending against it, (2) under attack and don't realize it, and we're being defeated time and again, or (3) we're not being attacked because we're not a threat to the enemy.
It's not a fun feeling knowing that if I live my life for God, my whole life will be a battle, against the enemy or the sinful nature within me. But thankfully, I have the One who has already won the war on my side, fighting along with me.
Death to the Overachiever
Focal Verse: "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:30).
The verse above is one of those verses in the Bible that gets us all warm and fuzzy inside. It's the kind of verse we like to memorize and take to heart.
Yet this verse has been one that I've never really experienced. Yes, I knew what it said, but I can recall reading it time and time again, thinking, "I just don't get it." It wasn't until recently when I realized the reason why I knew this verse in my head but not in my heart.
In my almost 18-year Christian walk, I have tried to "do" and "be" everything I thought was expected. When I used my gifts to serve the Lord, or if someone told me I was a blessing in one way or another, I cheered for myself. I had succeeded. On the opposite side, when I was hit with a sinful area I couldn't figure out how to master, I failed. Without realizing it, I was trying to "work" my way to approval from God. An overachiever, I subconsciously planned on "mastering" this Christianity thing once and for all. I struggled with sermons that talked about confessing sin, because I would realize I hadn't confessed of anything in such a long time. Surely I wasn't perfect, but for the life of me, I couldn't think of anything I had done wrong lately. I tried to "do" everything right. Though I knew I was saved by faith, I was living my Christianity by works.
And let me tell you, works wasn't working.
Then God hit me with an amazing revelation: there is nothing good in me. Now, to an overachiever like myself, this could have been a fatal blow. But instead, it brought freedom like none other. Once I realized that there is nothing good in me of myself, I realized that everything good in me is from God. What a relief! Any good I ever hope to be cannot come from myself but from God and His Spirit's work alone.
This revelation brought an amazing new light to the following verse: "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom" (James 2:12). How can the law give freedom? With all the rules and regulations and the impossible expectations, how could we possibly gain freedom through the law? Because there is no possible way to live up to the law! The FREEDOM is that Jesus Christ through his death and resurrection covered my inability to ever be good enough. The freedom is that the only way I am to ever be all God has for me to be is to recognize that he IS the good in me. Only by dying to myself and allowing him to live in me will I ever please him.
Now the dying to myself isn't so easy sometimes. But at least I'm not trying achieve the impossible anymore. Once I let go of my ambitions to do it all myself, I can be free to let the Holy Spirit do his perfect work in me.
The verse above is one of those verses in the Bible that gets us all warm and fuzzy inside. It's the kind of verse we like to memorize and take to heart.
Yet this verse has been one that I've never really experienced. Yes, I knew what it said, but I can recall reading it time and time again, thinking, "I just don't get it." It wasn't until recently when I realized the reason why I knew this verse in my head but not in my heart.
In my almost 18-year Christian walk, I have tried to "do" and "be" everything I thought was expected. When I used my gifts to serve the Lord, or if someone told me I was a blessing in one way or another, I cheered for myself. I had succeeded. On the opposite side, when I was hit with a sinful area I couldn't figure out how to master, I failed. Without realizing it, I was trying to "work" my way to approval from God. An overachiever, I subconsciously planned on "mastering" this Christianity thing once and for all. I struggled with sermons that talked about confessing sin, because I would realize I hadn't confessed of anything in such a long time. Surely I wasn't perfect, but for the life of me, I couldn't think of anything I had done wrong lately. I tried to "do" everything right. Though I knew I was saved by faith, I was living my Christianity by works.
And let me tell you, works wasn't working.
Then God hit me with an amazing revelation: there is nothing good in me. Now, to an overachiever like myself, this could have been a fatal blow. But instead, it brought freedom like none other. Once I realized that there is nothing good in me of myself, I realized that everything good in me is from God. What a relief! Any good I ever hope to be cannot come from myself but from God and His Spirit's work alone.
This revelation brought an amazing new light to the following verse: "Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom" (James 2:12). How can the law give freedom? With all the rules and regulations and the impossible expectations, how could we possibly gain freedom through the law? Because there is no possible way to live up to the law! The FREEDOM is that Jesus Christ through his death and resurrection covered my inability to ever be good enough. The freedom is that the only way I am to ever be all God has for me to be is to recognize that he IS the good in me. Only by dying to myself and allowing him to live in me will I ever please him.
Now the dying to myself isn't so easy sometimes. But at least I'm not trying achieve the impossible anymore. Once I let go of my ambitions to do it all myself, I can be free to let the Holy Spirit do his perfect work in me.
Counterfeit Comfort
Focal Verses: "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters...Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare" (Isaiah 55:1a, 2)
While some people eat for comfort, I drink for comfort. No, not alcohol; my drinks of choice are coffee, diet coke, and sweet tea. In particular, I've found myself in the last few months getting a 32-ounce diet coke during my workday to "comfort" me as I work a long day. What used to be a once-a-week treat turned into an almost every day necessity.
Also a couple of months ago, I found myself feeling very fatigued at work. In the afternoon I was simply run down. Some days I felt like I was battling an illness I was so tired. My husband even jokingly asked if he could declare the lemon law on me because I felt bad all the time.
Sick of feeling sick, I decided to try something. After noticing I was feeling my worst after a string of those "diet coke days," I decided I was going to switch to water. Starting on a Monday, I had a large 32-ounce ice water both in the morning and afternoon. I even added some lemon because I read somewhere that lemon is loaded with vitamin C. That could only be good right?
The difference was immediate. That Monday I was full of energy - even for a Monday! And that whole week I felt like I was back to normal again. It couldn't be that simple, right? Just exchange my diet coke for refreshing ice water?
How often do we do the same thing with our spiritual lives? How often do we try to fill the thirst in our lives with a counterfeit drink?
One of my counterfeit drinks was TV. I had at least one show to watch every night. Every day I looked forward to the show that was on that night. With those shows I could escape my reality and live in another world. They were my comfort. Yet when they were over, I was as empty as I was before, until the next night. Since I have replaced most of my sacred TV shows to other activities in the evenings - ones that are beneficial - I don't even miss it. Sure, my husband and I still indulge in a couple of our favorites, but they are treats for me, not what I depend on for my comfort.
Another counterfeit could be our friends, even Christian friends. If we are leaning on our friends or family with issues we haven't even taken to God, we are expecting them - maybe not consciously - to fill that role of God in our lives. God has used my precious friends in so many ways in my life. But he has at times also taken away their availability to me when he knew I was depending on them too much. He wants us to come to him with all of our thoughts, feelings, dilemmas, and worries. Then, if he chooses to use our friends to speak to us, great! But he is the Wonderful Counselor who needs to be the first one we turn to. And if he chooses to speak to us through our friends, that's just icing on the cake!
Still another counterfeit could be our busyness. As long as we're on the go, doing something, planning something, having something to look forward to, we feel validated. We don't have time to realize our soul is empty. This has been a struggle of mine for as long as I can remember. I'll share what I wrote along these lines in my journal at the end of my Senior year of high school: "It is right now that I feel hopeless; I have a lack of purpose. Throughout the school year I've always had something to look forward to...But now all of that is over." If we are always looking forward to the next thing, that is a sure clue that we're leaning on the wrong thing. If all of our activities and responsibilities were stripped from us, would we find an empty void in our hearts? If so, then we aren't gaining our sustenance from God's Living Water.
These are just a few of my struggles, but I'm sure that we all have our unique counterfeit comforts that we turn to from time to time. It's difficult sometimes to recognize them but if we examine our hearts and pray that God will reveal them to us, we can resist leaning on our counterfeit comfort and instead turn to our God's all-fulfilling comfort.
And once we do that, we open the door to God's living water. The one that will make us never thirst again.
While some people eat for comfort, I drink for comfort. No, not alcohol; my drinks of choice are coffee, diet coke, and sweet tea. In particular, I've found myself in the last few months getting a 32-ounce diet coke during my workday to "comfort" me as I work a long day. What used to be a once-a-week treat turned into an almost every day necessity.
Also a couple of months ago, I found myself feeling very fatigued at work. In the afternoon I was simply run down. Some days I felt like I was battling an illness I was so tired. My husband even jokingly asked if he could declare the lemon law on me because I felt bad all the time.
Sick of feeling sick, I decided to try something. After noticing I was feeling my worst after a string of those "diet coke days," I decided I was going to switch to water. Starting on a Monday, I had a large 32-ounce ice water both in the morning and afternoon. I even added some lemon because I read somewhere that lemon is loaded with vitamin C. That could only be good right?
The difference was immediate. That Monday I was full of energy - even for a Monday! And that whole week I felt like I was back to normal again. It couldn't be that simple, right? Just exchange my diet coke for refreshing ice water?
How often do we do the same thing with our spiritual lives? How often do we try to fill the thirst in our lives with a counterfeit drink?
One of my counterfeit drinks was TV. I had at least one show to watch every night. Every day I looked forward to the show that was on that night. With those shows I could escape my reality and live in another world. They were my comfort. Yet when they were over, I was as empty as I was before, until the next night. Since I have replaced most of my sacred TV shows to other activities in the evenings - ones that are beneficial - I don't even miss it. Sure, my husband and I still indulge in a couple of our favorites, but they are treats for me, not what I depend on for my comfort.
Another counterfeit could be our friends, even Christian friends. If we are leaning on our friends or family with issues we haven't even taken to God, we are expecting them - maybe not consciously - to fill that role of God in our lives. God has used my precious friends in so many ways in my life. But he has at times also taken away their availability to me when he knew I was depending on them too much. He wants us to come to him with all of our thoughts, feelings, dilemmas, and worries. Then, if he chooses to use our friends to speak to us, great! But he is the Wonderful Counselor who needs to be the first one we turn to. And if he chooses to speak to us through our friends, that's just icing on the cake!
Still another counterfeit could be our busyness. As long as we're on the go, doing something, planning something, having something to look forward to, we feel validated. We don't have time to realize our soul is empty. This has been a struggle of mine for as long as I can remember. I'll share what I wrote along these lines in my journal at the end of my Senior year of high school: "It is right now that I feel hopeless; I have a lack of purpose. Throughout the school year I've always had something to look forward to...But now all of that is over." If we are always looking forward to the next thing, that is a sure clue that we're leaning on the wrong thing. If all of our activities and responsibilities were stripped from us, would we find an empty void in our hearts? If so, then we aren't gaining our sustenance from God's Living Water.
These are just a few of my struggles, but I'm sure that we all have our unique counterfeit comforts that we turn to from time to time. It's difficult sometimes to recognize them but if we examine our hearts and pray that God will reveal them to us, we can resist leaning on our counterfeit comfort and instead turn to our God's all-fulfilling comfort.
And once we do that, we open the door to God's living water. The one that will make us never thirst again.
My Center
Focal Verse: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).
Sitting down momentarily in my recliner this Sunday afternoon, I started thinking what I needed to do next. Having surprisingly gotten all my housework done, I was about to tackle another thing on my to-do list.
But my two-year-old son Drew was sitting on the bed playing with puzzles, wanting me to come play with him. Conflicted, my heart won out and I crawled up in the bed next to him and we enjoyed the Sunday afternoon together.
Lately, I have been feeling much anxiety regarding to the things I have to do and how I am supposed to do it all. I don't get home from work until after 6:00 every night. Then comes cooking dinner, cleaning up, housework, and hopefully squeezing in some quality time with Drew before it's time to give him a bath and put him to bed. The next thing I know, it's 9:00 and I still haven't studied for my Wednesday night mom's class or my upcoming Sunday night discipleship training class...or discussion questions for my Sunday School class...or writing on this blog...or writing thank-you notes...the list seems never ending. And not to mention, I also haven't spent any quality time with my husband yet.
My life has seemed like one big whirlwind lately. So much to do - so much I WANT to do - yet so little time to squeeze it in.
I recall a metaphor used by Joanna Weaver in her book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, where she talked about her each of her responsibilities representing a hula hoop, and her challenge was to balance them all and not drop one. How to do it? She said she had to find her "center." Once she found her center, she could balance all her responsibilities. Now, it's easy to think our "center" is Christ, and it is. But I think finding our center goes beyond that. If I look at everything in my life demanding my attention, I don't know how I could put one above another. My role as a wife, my role as a mother, and my role in the ministries God has called me to, each demand their place.
I wasn't sure how I was going to be and do everything needed (and remain sane at that!), so today I started praying, "God, show me how to find my center."
Thankfully, God revealed my first step in the precious eyes of my toddler. While I was trying to decide which task to tackle next today, I couldn't even consider anything but spending my time with Drew. It was through this that God showed me that my priority needs to be to my family, and he will provide time for my other responsibilities.
I know I'm not the only one who struggles with this. I certainly believe we can "do" too much and sometimes need to reconsider what we commit to. But when we're doing everything that we feel called to do - and nothing more - yet we still feel overwhelmed, it's time to find our center.
The oft-quoted passage Philippians 4:13 is true here. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I need to realize that if God has called me, he will equip me. And isn't it just like God to give us a God-sized task so we won't rely on our own abilities to do it? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12,"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,' ... For when I am weak, then I am strong" (v. 9a and 10b).
I think one of God's purposes for all of my responsibilities is that I will realize I can't do it all on my own strength. It is only through him and his power that I can find my center.
Sitting down momentarily in my recliner this Sunday afternoon, I started thinking what I needed to do next. Having surprisingly gotten all my housework done, I was about to tackle another thing on my to-do list.
But my two-year-old son Drew was sitting on the bed playing with puzzles, wanting me to come play with him. Conflicted, my heart won out and I crawled up in the bed next to him and we enjoyed the Sunday afternoon together.
Lately, I have been feeling much anxiety regarding to the things I have to do and how I am supposed to do it all. I don't get home from work until after 6:00 every night. Then comes cooking dinner, cleaning up, housework, and hopefully squeezing in some quality time with Drew before it's time to give him a bath and put him to bed. The next thing I know, it's 9:00 and I still haven't studied for my Wednesday night mom's class or my upcoming Sunday night discipleship training class...or discussion questions for my Sunday School class...or writing on this blog...or writing thank-you notes...the list seems never ending. And not to mention, I also haven't spent any quality time with my husband yet.
My life has seemed like one big whirlwind lately. So much to do - so much I WANT to do - yet so little time to squeeze it in.
I recall a metaphor used by Joanna Weaver in her book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, where she talked about her each of her responsibilities representing a hula hoop, and her challenge was to balance them all and not drop one. How to do it? She said she had to find her "center." Once she found her center, she could balance all her responsibilities. Now, it's easy to think our "center" is Christ, and it is. But I think finding our center goes beyond that. If I look at everything in my life demanding my attention, I don't know how I could put one above another. My role as a wife, my role as a mother, and my role in the ministries God has called me to, each demand their place.
I wasn't sure how I was going to be and do everything needed (and remain sane at that!), so today I started praying, "God, show me how to find my center."
Thankfully, God revealed my first step in the precious eyes of my toddler. While I was trying to decide which task to tackle next today, I couldn't even consider anything but spending my time with Drew. It was through this that God showed me that my priority needs to be to my family, and he will provide time for my other responsibilities.
I know I'm not the only one who struggles with this. I certainly believe we can "do" too much and sometimes need to reconsider what we commit to. But when we're doing everything that we feel called to do - and nothing more - yet we still feel overwhelmed, it's time to find our center.
The oft-quoted passage Philippians 4:13 is true here. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I need to realize that if God has called me, he will equip me. And isn't it just like God to give us a God-sized task so we won't rely on our own abilities to do it? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12,"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,' ... For when I am weak, then I am strong" (v. 9a and 10b).
I think one of God's purposes for all of my responsibilities is that I will realize I can't do it all on my own strength. It is only through him and his power that I can find my center.
Cleaning the Gunk
Focal Verses: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-34).
My husband Matt and I will celebrate our seventh wedding anniversary in a little over a month. We each finished college, started our first jobs, bought our first home, adopted 5 pets, traveled together, and eventually welcomed our almost-2-year-old son. We've had ours ups and downs, and overall, it has been a wonderful seven years.
A few weeks ago, while waiting on a meeting at work, I was looking at my diamond engagement ring, reminiscing on the first few days that I wore it. It was so shiny then, reflective of young love and anticipation of the years to come. But as I looked at this ring that has been on my finger for almost eight years, I noticed how the diamond in the center wasn't shining, and neither were the small diamonds on each side and on the wedding band. I couldn't recall how long it had been since I had cleaned my ring. I wear it everywhere and only take it off when absolutely necessary (which is almost never). I got so accustomed to the ring on my finger that I hadn't even noticed that it had lost its shine and sparkle long ago.
So one night, I did what I had read somewhere - I brushed the ring with an old toothbrush and non-gel toothpaste. (If you laugh, you must try it first-it works!) I couldn't believe how much my ring sparkled! It looked like it was brand new and I was sure it would blind someone if they got too close.
My pride was short-lived, when the next day waiting for another meeting at work, I started looking at my ring again. I happened to look on the underside of my shiny diamond, where the prongs were, only to notice "gunk." There was no telling how many months - or years - of dirt was on this part of the diamond that I didn't scrub. I was determined to go back and get my toothbrush and toothpaste and work on this hidden area much harder. But do you know what I found? I couldn't remove this gunk myself. I don't know if it was too encrusted or if the bristles just wouldn't reach. Irritated, I realized that I would have to take it to a jeweler to restore the shine even in the less obvious places.
In the same way, sometimes I can go a long time without acknowledging or confessing sin, and over time, that unconfessed sin starts to cloud the brightness of the Light of Christ within. I don't even realize how dirty I am until I come to Christ for cleansing.
I also started to realize that there are probably parts of me that I don't even realize are dirty. I can look (and feel) bright and shiny on the outside and yet part of me is encrusted with sin that I may not even be aware of. And no matter how hard I scrub to be clean, unless God reveals that sin to me, I may never see it. Others might. But it also might be so entrenched and hidden that no one else sees it either.
That's why David said at the end of Psalm 139: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." These verses indicate that it is very possible we may have sin we are unaware of. Some sin may be so entrenched that it began in childhood and we assume it's part of our personality. Other sin could be the product of denial when the Holy Spirit convicts us, and just like a callous, we're so accustomed to it, and it is part of our way of life.
If we wholeheartedly pray these words of David in Psalm 139, God will show us if there is an area of our lives that only He can bring to light - and cleanse. When we are cleansed, the light of Christ will shine through us.
I think of those verses now every time I look at my engagement ring. It's a good reminder to pray for God to reveal any gunk that might be in my life. Now if I can just find the time to get to a jeweler.
My husband Matt and I will celebrate our seventh wedding anniversary in a little over a month. We each finished college, started our first jobs, bought our first home, adopted 5 pets, traveled together, and eventually welcomed our almost-2-year-old son. We've had ours ups and downs, and overall, it has been a wonderful seven years.
A few weeks ago, while waiting on a meeting at work, I was looking at my diamond engagement ring, reminiscing on the first few days that I wore it. It was so shiny then, reflective of young love and anticipation of the years to come. But as I looked at this ring that has been on my finger for almost eight years, I noticed how the diamond in the center wasn't shining, and neither were the small diamonds on each side and on the wedding band. I couldn't recall how long it had been since I had cleaned my ring. I wear it everywhere and only take it off when absolutely necessary (which is almost never). I got so accustomed to the ring on my finger that I hadn't even noticed that it had lost its shine and sparkle long ago.
So one night, I did what I had read somewhere - I brushed the ring with an old toothbrush and non-gel toothpaste. (If you laugh, you must try it first-it works!) I couldn't believe how much my ring sparkled! It looked like it was brand new and I was sure it would blind someone if they got too close.
My pride was short-lived, when the next day waiting for another meeting at work, I started looking at my ring again. I happened to look on the underside of my shiny diamond, where the prongs were, only to notice "gunk." There was no telling how many months - or years - of dirt was on this part of the diamond that I didn't scrub. I was determined to go back and get my toothbrush and toothpaste and work on this hidden area much harder. But do you know what I found? I couldn't remove this gunk myself. I don't know if it was too encrusted or if the bristles just wouldn't reach. Irritated, I realized that I would have to take it to a jeweler to restore the shine even in the less obvious places.
In the same way, sometimes I can go a long time without acknowledging or confessing sin, and over time, that unconfessed sin starts to cloud the brightness of the Light of Christ within. I don't even realize how dirty I am until I come to Christ for cleansing.
I also started to realize that there are probably parts of me that I don't even realize are dirty. I can look (and feel) bright and shiny on the outside and yet part of me is encrusted with sin that I may not even be aware of. And no matter how hard I scrub to be clean, unless God reveals that sin to me, I may never see it. Others might. But it also might be so entrenched and hidden that no one else sees it either.
That's why David said at the end of Psalm 139: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." These verses indicate that it is very possible we may have sin we are unaware of. Some sin may be so entrenched that it began in childhood and we assume it's part of our personality. Other sin could be the product of denial when the Holy Spirit convicts us, and just like a callous, we're so accustomed to it, and it is part of our way of life.
If we wholeheartedly pray these words of David in Psalm 139, God will show us if there is an area of our lives that only He can bring to light - and cleanse. When we are cleansed, the light of Christ will shine through us.
I think of those verses now every time I look at my engagement ring. It's a good reminder to pray for God to reveal any gunk that might be in my life. Now if I can just find the time to get to a jeweler.
The Treasure in Our Closet
Focal Verse: "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Psalm 119:103
A few weeks ago, my toddler came down with a cough. Not uncommon for him, we attributed it to allergies as usual. We medicated him with prescription cough and allergy medicine and waited for it to go away after a few days.
Two and a half weeks later, we were getting concerned. The medicine, along with other over-the-counter allergy and cough medicines a nurse suggested when we called the week before, wasn't helping. So at my husband's insistence, I called to get Drew in to see his pediatrician. I was transferred to a nurse I haven't talked to before, who told me that the peditrician was booked that day (a Friday). She told me to put a humidifier in his room. No matter how many times I tried to protest - but it has been almost 3 weeks!...but we have given him every medicine suggested!... but he has been coughing for almost 3 weeks! - she became more adamant about the humidifier and told me that if they did have an opening, the doctor would tell us the same thing.
I was not a happy first-time mommy after this conversation. A humidifier? We got one when Drew was a baby and used it a couple of times, but it never seemed to help then. It was just a waste of time and energy. But reluctantly, I dug deep into our linen closet and pulled out the thing. I wasn't even sure how to work it, so my husband had to help me. I'll try this over the weekend, I thought, and when it doesn't work, I'm calling to get him an appointment on Monday.
On Saturday, Drew's coughs miraculously became less and less frequent. By Sunday he was even better. Amazing! I let my baby cough for almost 3 weeks trying everything I knew when the one thing that was needed was right there in my closet.
I think that's sometimes how we view our Bibles. We start having problems in our lives, and we tend to try everything we know. We talk to friends. Immerse ourselves in our hobby. Eat for comfort. Drown out the world in a good TV show. But even after we've tried all of those things, the problems are still there. We don't even think that the solution may be in our closet...or in our car since we only get it out on Sundays anyway.
We don't even think of our Bibles because, well, we've tried it before, and it never worked. Maybe we've tried reading the Bible through but got stuck somewhere between Leviticus and Numbers in all of the laws and learning who begat whom. Maybe we're still using a version that bears no resemblance to how we speak and learn. Whatever the reason, we've given up on really believing that the Bible could ever make a difference in our lives.
If you are like many who can identify, you may wonder how you can get started really allowing God to transform your life through his Word. Like I had to do with the humidifier, you need to dust off your Bible. First, I believe it is important to evaluate the version you're using. If you're using a version with old engligh language, you may want to go to a more understandable translation.
Second, make a plan. Here are some suggestions, but feel free to enlist the advice of a pastor, Sunday School teacher, or an associate at your Bible bookstore:
1. Select a daily devotional. Many churches have these available for free every month.
2. Start reading the Psalms. You can start with Psalm 119, which has lots of verses about the importance of the Word of God in everyday life.
3. Read Proverbs, a chapter per day.
4. Choose one of the letters of Paul. My favorite is Philippians.
5. Read the Gospels. What is a better way to get to know how to be like Christ than to study how he lived?
6. Consider a Chronological Bible. This puts the chapters of the Bible into the order that scholars believe they actually happened. I particularly enjoy reading about David and reading his Psalms in light of the circumstances by which he wrote them.
7. Delve into a Bible Study. Beth Moore's studies are amazing but the lessons take longer than others. Priscilla Shirer's studies equip you to study the Bible on your own, and she suggests verses to study yourself.
Remember, the purpose of reading the Word of God isn't so you can do your duty to God for that day. If you read chapter after chapter but close your Bible gaining nothing, what difference did it make? Even if you only read a few verses but God tells you exactly what he has for you that day, that's an effective Bible study! Before you start reading, ask God to reveal what he wants to say to you. God longs to speak to us! He only wants us to listen!
If we truly take in and breathe the Word of God, we will be changed.
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
A few weeks ago, my toddler came down with a cough. Not uncommon for him, we attributed it to allergies as usual. We medicated him with prescription cough and allergy medicine and waited for it to go away after a few days.
Two and a half weeks later, we were getting concerned. The medicine, along with other over-the-counter allergy and cough medicines a nurse suggested when we called the week before, wasn't helping. So at my husband's insistence, I called to get Drew in to see his pediatrician. I was transferred to a nurse I haven't talked to before, who told me that the peditrician was booked that day (a Friday). She told me to put a humidifier in his room. No matter how many times I tried to protest - but it has been almost 3 weeks!...but we have given him every medicine suggested!... but he has been coughing for almost 3 weeks! - she became more adamant about the humidifier and told me that if they did have an opening, the doctor would tell us the same thing.
I was not a happy first-time mommy after this conversation. A humidifier? We got one when Drew was a baby and used it a couple of times, but it never seemed to help then. It was just a waste of time and energy. But reluctantly, I dug deep into our linen closet and pulled out the thing. I wasn't even sure how to work it, so my husband had to help me. I'll try this over the weekend, I thought, and when it doesn't work, I'm calling to get him an appointment on Monday.
On Saturday, Drew's coughs miraculously became less and less frequent. By Sunday he was even better. Amazing! I let my baby cough for almost 3 weeks trying everything I knew when the one thing that was needed was right there in my closet.
I think that's sometimes how we view our Bibles. We start having problems in our lives, and we tend to try everything we know. We talk to friends. Immerse ourselves in our hobby. Eat for comfort. Drown out the world in a good TV show. But even after we've tried all of those things, the problems are still there. We don't even think that the solution may be in our closet...or in our car since we only get it out on Sundays anyway.
We don't even think of our Bibles because, well, we've tried it before, and it never worked. Maybe we've tried reading the Bible through but got stuck somewhere between Leviticus and Numbers in all of the laws and learning who begat whom. Maybe we're still using a version that bears no resemblance to how we speak and learn. Whatever the reason, we've given up on really believing that the Bible could ever make a difference in our lives.
If you are like many who can identify, you may wonder how you can get started really allowing God to transform your life through his Word. Like I had to do with the humidifier, you need to dust off your Bible. First, I believe it is important to evaluate the version you're using. If you're using a version with old engligh language, you may want to go to a more understandable translation.
Second, make a plan. Here are some suggestions, but feel free to enlist the advice of a pastor, Sunday School teacher, or an associate at your Bible bookstore:
1. Select a daily devotional. Many churches have these available for free every month.
2. Start reading the Psalms. You can start with Psalm 119, which has lots of verses about the importance of the Word of God in everyday life.
3. Read Proverbs, a chapter per day.
4. Choose one of the letters of Paul. My favorite is Philippians.
5. Read the Gospels. What is a better way to get to know how to be like Christ than to study how he lived?
6. Consider a Chronological Bible. This puts the chapters of the Bible into the order that scholars believe they actually happened. I particularly enjoy reading about David and reading his Psalms in light of the circumstances by which he wrote them.
7. Delve into a Bible Study. Beth Moore's studies are amazing but the lessons take longer than others. Priscilla Shirer's studies equip you to study the Bible on your own, and she suggests verses to study yourself.
Remember, the purpose of reading the Word of God isn't so you can do your duty to God for that day. If you read chapter after chapter but close your Bible gaining nothing, what difference did it make? Even if you only read a few verses but God tells you exactly what he has for you that day, that's an effective Bible study! Before you start reading, ask God to reveal what he wants to say to you. God longs to speak to us! He only wants us to listen!
If we truly take in and breathe the Word of God, we will be changed.
"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
Our Superhero
Focal Verse: "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners" Isaiah 61:1
Have you noticed that our culture has an obsession with superheroes? From the comic books young children have read for decades to the blockbuster movies of our day, we're fascinated with the extrordinary "among us" who save the day. I say "we're fascinated" because I am one of them.
A couple of years ago, my husband got me hooked on Smallville, the television show based on the teenage years of Clark Kent (aka Superman). Even to this day, this 27-year-old Mom can't miss an episode. What is it that's so enticing about superheroes? For me, it's their inherent goodness. Their ability to go beyond human limitations. Their humility and willingness to risk their lives to save a stranger. Their propensity to defend the defenseless. And, of course, you can't dismiss the fact that they're usually rather attractive with a beautiful (or handsome) romantic interest. We can get so involved in the show that we wish our real world could have real life superhero.
Yet... we do. We have our very own superhero in Jesus Christ. First, he's inherently good. ("Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens." Hebrews 7:26)
Second, his abilities go beyond human limitations ("'Where did this man get these things?' they asked. 'What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!'" Mark 6:3a)
Third, he was the portrait of humility and not only risked his life but gave his life for us "(Who, being in very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:6-8).
Fourth, Jesus defends us when we cannot defend ourselves ("Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" Hebrews 7:25).
And finally, we can't forget the bond of a divine romance that is available to all of us. Jesus loves us so much he not only died for us but he also calls himself a bridegroom and us his bride. ("Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready." Revelation 19:7)
How amazing! We have our very own "superhero" who LOVES us! who DEFENDS us! who RESCUED us! who DIED for us! who will SAVE us!
One final thought... Could it be that our culture's obsession with superheroes could be born out of our innate need for a Savior?
Have you noticed that our culture has an obsession with superheroes? From the comic books young children have read for decades to the blockbuster movies of our day, we're fascinated with the extrordinary "among us" who save the day. I say "we're fascinated" because I am one of them.
A couple of years ago, my husband got me hooked on Smallville, the television show based on the teenage years of Clark Kent (aka Superman). Even to this day, this 27-year-old Mom can't miss an episode. What is it that's so enticing about superheroes? For me, it's their inherent goodness. Their ability to go beyond human limitations. Their humility and willingness to risk their lives to save a stranger. Their propensity to defend the defenseless. And, of course, you can't dismiss the fact that they're usually rather attractive with a beautiful (or handsome) romantic interest. We can get so involved in the show that we wish our real world could have real life superhero.
Yet... we do. We have our very own superhero in Jesus Christ. First, he's inherently good. ("Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens." Hebrews 7:26)
Second, his abilities go beyond human limitations ("'Where did this man get these things?' they asked. 'What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!'" Mark 6:3a)
Third, he was the portrait of humility and not only risked his life but gave his life for us "(Who, being in very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:6-8).
Fourth, Jesus defends us when we cannot defend ourselves ("Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" Hebrews 7:25).
And finally, we can't forget the bond of a divine romance that is available to all of us. Jesus loves us so much he not only died for us but he also calls himself a bridegroom and us his bride. ("Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready." Revelation 19:7)
How amazing! We have our very own "superhero" who LOVES us! who DEFENDS us! who RESCUED us! who DIED for us! who will SAVE us!
One final thought... Could it be that our culture's obsession with superheroes could be born out of our innate need for a Savior?
A Tale of Three Mother's Days
Focal verse: "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
." Ephesians 4:11-12
My first Mother's Day was full of excitement and anticipation. I was six months pregnant and felt joy with every kick in my tummy. I had prayed for Drew and couldn't wait until August, when I would welcome him into my arms. My mom and mother-in-law gave me thoughtful gifts for my "first" Mother's Day, and although that little detail escaped my husband, I wasn't letting anything ruin this day. I longed for the next Mother's Day when I would officially be a mommy.
Yet my second Mother's Day was nothing like I expected the year before. After a difficult postpartum period of adjustment and depression, I spent most of Drew's first nine months trying to keep my head above water. Though I loved Drew dearly, I didn't enjoy the "baby" stage. I know many who love the baby stage will gasp at this statement, but I will venture to say it anyway. Most of the time the baby stage bored me. I wanted him to grow up so I could play ball with him, teach him his ABCs, have a conversation with him. So on my second Mother's Day, all I wanted was a break. Guilt encompassed this day like none other. It was my first Mother's Day, for heaven's sake! I should want to be with my child. Instead, I just wanted some alone time. I thought, "What kind of mother am I?" On a day where I was supposed to enjoy the blessings of being a mother, I felt like such a failure.
A year later, my perspective has changed quite a bit. This last year Drew has grown from the crawler to the runner. From the crier to the almost-talker. From the bottle to the fork and spoon. From the stage I didn't care for to the stage I love. When last year all I wanted was a break, this year all I wanted to do is spend time with my precious boy. While last year I felt like such a failure, this year I feel like a pretty good mom.
What changed? I realized that just because I wasn't fond of the baby stage, that didn't mean I was a bad mom. Just because I didn't end up being the kind of mom I expected to be, that doesn't mean that I can't embrace the mom I am.
For any mom reading this, next time you face a time of insecurity (because we all do from time to time), remember that God chose to give you the child you have because no one is better equipped to rear that child than you. And when you face times that go against your natural strengths, know that God will provide for you and your child. For me, God provided my mom and mother-in-law, who were able to fill in where I couldn't. I know that with Drew not even 2 yet, I have lots more stages to go through, and the next time I feel ill-equipped, I'll be able to embrace who I am and allow God to provide the rest.
Who knows what my fourth Mother's Day will bring. God-willing, I'll look at my 2 1/2 year old with all of the love in my heart, and then glance at another baby bump and know that with God's help, I will get through the baby stage once again. But this time, I won't have any doubt that I am a pretty good mom.
." Ephesians 4:11-12My first Mother's Day was full of excitement and anticipation. I was six months pregnant and felt joy with every kick in my tummy. I had prayed for Drew and couldn't wait until August, when I would welcome him into my arms. My mom and mother-in-law gave me thoughtful gifts for my "first" Mother's Day, and although that little detail escaped my husband, I wasn't letting anything ruin this day. I longed for the next Mother's Day when I would officially be a mommy.
Yet my second Mother's Day was nothing like I expected the year before. After a difficult postpartum period of adjustment and depression, I spent most of Drew's first nine months trying to keep my head above water. Though I loved Drew dearly, I didn't enjoy the "baby" stage. I know many who love the baby stage will gasp at this statement, but I will venture to say it anyway. Most of the time the baby stage bored me. I wanted him to grow up so I could play ball with him, teach him his ABCs, have a conversation with him. So on my second Mother's Day, all I wanted was a break. Guilt encompassed this day like none other. It was my first Mother's Day, for heaven's sake! I should want to be with my child. Instead, I just wanted some alone time. I thought, "What kind of mother am I?" On a day where I was supposed to enjoy the blessings of being a mother, I felt like such a failure.
A year later, my perspective has changed quite a bit. This last year Drew has grown from the crawler to the runner. From the crier to the almost-talker. From the bottle to the fork and spoon. From the stage I didn't care for to the stage I love. When last year all I wanted was a break, this year all I wanted to do is spend time with my precious boy. While last year I felt like such a failure, this year I feel like a pretty good mom.
What changed? I realized that just because I wasn't fond of the baby stage, that didn't mean I was a bad mom. Just because I didn't end up being the kind of mom I expected to be, that doesn't mean that I can't embrace the mom I am.
For any mom reading this, next time you face a time of insecurity (because we all do from time to time), remember that God chose to give you the child you have because no one is better equipped to rear that child than you. And when you face times that go against your natural strengths, know that God will provide for you and your child. For me, God provided my mom and mother-in-law, who were able to fill in where I couldn't. I know that with Drew not even 2 yet, I have lots more stages to go through, and the next time I feel ill-equipped, I'll be able to embrace who I am and allow God to provide the rest.
Who knows what my fourth Mother's Day will bring. God-willing, I'll look at my 2 1/2 year old with all of the love in my heart, and then glance at another baby bump and know that with God's help, I will get through the baby stage once again. But this time, I won't have any doubt that I am a pretty good mom.
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