We can let our emotions control us or we can take control over them by exercising our will.
Feeling hatred, bitterness, and anger? Choose forgiveness then act forgiving.
Feeling mean? Choose kindness then be kind.
Feel like giving up? Choose to stay committed and act devoted.
Feel discouraged? Choose to be happy then smile and enjoy life.
Our problem is that we have allowed our emotions to rule over us and dictate or heavily influence our behavior. Start exercising your power of choice by using your will. Take charge of your will and stop letting your emotions take charge of you.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Supernaturally Changed
I can remember the days when I begged God to change me. At times I cooperated with God to answer that prayer to change by doing what I believed I was supposed to do only to fall back into doing nothing except feeling miserable and crying out to God to change me. Every attempt at being different and trying to change failed. Even so, I kept trying and I kept doing and I kept praying for God to change me until the day came when the pain of not changing became too much to handle and I stopped. I stopped trying and settled for life the way it was and for me the way I was. Without realizing it, I tucked that pain away in a corner of my heart and for over a decade I never thought about it. Until two years ago.
Two years ago a situation forced me to resume my change efforts. I had something very important at stake in my life and I decided that I would do whatever it took to get through it. As a result, I pulled the pain out from the corner of my heart and added it to the pain I was experiencing and gave it all to God and told Him that even if I have to live with this pain for the rest of my life I was going to change. Looking back, I realize that for the first time in my life, I had the courage to make the effort to change instead of just wanting to be changed. I did what I was supposed to do and it was hard at first. So hard that sometimes I cried and asked God to find a different way. But there was no other way for me to change than to forgive those who had wronged me. There was no other way than begin to show love toward the one who had hurt me to so much. There was no other than to surrender my will to God's will and just do what He wanted me to do. There was no other way than to do it through Jesus' strength and not mine.
For two years I have been in the process of changing. I was willing to be changed my entire life but it was only when I worked the change process that something miraculous happened. For two years I have been so focused on being the woman God wants me to be that I was not aware of the change was taking place. It like fall colors. Some of are so focused on just living from day-to-day that we don’t notice the fall colors around us. Then one day, for whatever reason, we look up and see the beautiful fall colors and we realize it is fall. Fall colors that God has created and blessed us with. When this happens to me I am amazed about the fact that fall has been around me and I have not even noticed.
Today, I look at beautiful colors God has added to my life and I see that I have changed and I know the change is supernatural. It is supernatural because only God could change me like this. I'm still doing the same things I started doing two years ago. I forgive. I love. I am obedient. The supernatural change that has occurred is that I am now a forgiving, loving, and obedient person. I don't have to fight with my emotions anymore to be the person I want to be. I don't have to fight with my will anymore like I used to. I just do God’s will with faith and belief that He gives me the ability.
God changed me on the inside. And now changing and being changed is not something that I'm trying to do on the outside, it is a desire that comes from the inside. I work the change process and seek to change not because I am in pain and need to relieve my pain, although that is part of it. I work the change process and am obedient to change because I love my Heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus and I want more than anything to be like them.
Two years ago a situation forced me to resume my change efforts. I had something very important at stake in my life and I decided that I would do whatever it took to get through it. As a result, I pulled the pain out from the corner of my heart and added it to the pain I was experiencing and gave it all to God and told Him that even if I have to live with this pain for the rest of my life I was going to change. Looking back, I realize that for the first time in my life, I had the courage to make the effort to change instead of just wanting to be changed. I did what I was supposed to do and it was hard at first. So hard that sometimes I cried and asked God to find a different way. But there was no other way for me to change than to forgive those who had wronged me. There was no other way than begin to show love toward the one who had hurt me to so much. There was no other than to surrender my will to God's will and just do what He wanted me to do. There was no other way than to do it through Jesus' strength and not mine.
For two years I have been in the process of changing. I was willing to be changed my entire life but it was only when I worked the change process that something miraculous happened. For two years I have been so focused on being the woman God wants me to be that I was not aware of the change was taking place. It like fall colors. Some of are so focused on just living from day-to-day that we don’t notice the fall colors around us. Then one day, for whatever reason, we look up and see the beautiful fall colors and we realize it is fall. Fall colors that God has created and blessed us with. When this happens to me I am amazed about the fact that fall has been around me and I have not even noticed.
Today, I look at beautiful colors God has added to my life and I see that I have changed and I know the change is supernatural. It is supernatural because only God could change me like this. I'm still doing the same things I started doing two years ago. I forgive. I love. I am obedient. The supernatural change that has occurred is that I am now a forgiving, loving, and obedient person. I don't have to fight with my emotions anymore to be the person I want to be. I don't have to fight with my will anymore like I used to. I just do God’s will with faith and belief that He gives me the ability.
God changed me on the inside. And now changing and being changed is not something that I'm trying to do on the outside, it is a desire that comes from the inside. I work the change process and seek to change not because I am in pain and need to relieve my pain, although that is part of it. I work the change process and am obedient to change because I love my Heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus and I want more than anything to be like them.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Poem by Author Unknown
I want you to face the mountain
so that you can see,
when the mountain is out of the way
all there is left is Me.
Only I can move the mountain,
only I can push it away,
only I can conquer the problems
that you face today.
Your only job is to believe, to listen
to My voice,
and when you hear what I command,
obedience is your choice.
But I will not make it too difficult for the victory
is already Mine,
and I will fill you with My Spirit and through
you My grace will shine.
Not when you are perfect,
like you think you need to be,
but when your heart is willing to become more
and more like me.
so that you can see,
when the mountain is out of the way
all there is left is Me.
Only I can move the mountain,
only I can push it away,
only I can conquer the problems
that you face today.
Your only job is to believe, to listen
to My voice,
and when you hear what I command,
obedience is your choice.
But I will not make it too difficult for the victory
is already Mine,
and I will fill you with My Spirit and through
you My grace will shine.
Not when you are perfect,
like you think you need to be,
but when your heart is willing to become more
and more like me.
Monday, August 25, 2008
You're Special
Author Unknown
You’re special—in all the world there is nobody like you. Since the beginning of time, there has never been another person like you. Nobody has your smile. Nobody has your eyes, your nose, your hair, your hands, your voice. You’re special.
No one sees things just as you do. In all of time there has been no one who laughs like you, no one who cries like you. And what makes you laugh and cry will never provoke identical laughter and tears from anybody else, ever.
You are the only one in God’s creation with your set of natural abilities. There will always be somebody who is better at one of the things you’re good at, but no one in the universe can reach the quality of your combination of talents, ideas, natural abilities, and spiritual abilities. Like a room full of musical instruments, some may excel alone but none can match the symphony sound of the Body of Christ when all are played together because God set the members, every one of them, in the Body as it hath pleased Him.
Through all eternity no one will ever look, talk, walk, think, or do exactly like you. You’re special.
You’re rare. And, as in all rarity, there is great value. Because of your great value you need not attempt to imitate others. You should accept—yes, celebrate—your differences. You’re special. Continue to realize it’s not an accident that you’re special. Continue to see that God created you special for a very special purpose. He called you out and ordained you to a calling that no one else can do as well as you. Out of all the billions of applicants, only one is qualified, only one has the best combination of what it takes. Just as surely as every snowflake that falls has perfect design and no two designs are the same, so it is within the Body of Christ also. No two believers are the same; and without each member, the Body would be lacking and God’s plan would be incomplete. Ask the Father to teach you His divine plan for your life and that it may stand forth revealed to you as it should, unfolding in perfect sequence and perfect order in such a way as to bring the greatest glory to His name.
You’re special—in all the world there is nobody like you. Since the beginning of time, there has never been another person like you. Nobody has your smile. Nobody has your eyes, your nose, your hair, your hands, your voice. You’re special.
No one sees things just as you do. In all of time there has been no one who laughs like you, no one who cries like you. And what makes you laugh and cry will never provoke identical laughter and tears from anybody else, ever.
You are the only one in God’s creation with your set of natural abilities. There will always be somebody who is better at one of the things you’re good at, but no one in the universe can reach the quality of your combination of talents, ideas, natural abilities, and spiritual abilities. Like a room full of musical instruments, some may excel alone but none can match the symphony sound of the Body of Christ when all are played together because God set the members, every one of them, in the Body as it hath pleased Him.
Through all eternity no one will ever look, talk, walk, think, or do exactly like you. You’re special.
You’re rare. And, as in all rarity, there is great value. Because of your great value you need not attempt to imitate others. You should accept—yes, celebrate—your differences. You’re special. Continue to realize it’s not an accident that you’re special. Continue to see that God created you special for a very special purpose. He called you out and ordained you to a calling that no one else can do as well as you. Out of all the billions of applicants, only one is qualified, only one has the best combination of what it takes. Just as surely as every snowflake that falls has perfect design and no two designs are the same, so it is within the Body of Christ also. No two believers are the same; and without each member, the Body would be lacking and God’s plan would be incomplete. Ask the Father to teach you His divine plan for your life and that it may stand forth revealed to you as it should, unfolding in perfect sequence and perfect order in such a way as to bring the greatest glory to His name.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Freedom Trail
I ran the Freedom Trail in Boston today. The Freedom Trail is a red line marked on the sidewalks and streets in Boston that will take you from the Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument. The trail contains historical sites that are part of the history of the events that are known as the American Revolutionary War.
As I ran the Freedom Trail today, I thought about the revolutionary war’s historical figures and their passion for liberty. I started my run at Bunker Hill Monument thinking about the thousands and thousands who died in this first battle of the revolution. The trail then led me to the Charlestown Navy Shipyard where I saw the U.S.S. Constitution, the most celebrated ship in Navy history. She is considered to be the ship that “has never failed us!” (Commodore Bainbridge) yet many men failed to return home alive from her battles. As I passed their homes and churches and the places where their businesses used to be I thought of the Sons of Liberty; James Otis, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Sam Adams to name a few. They risked everything to forge the path of independence for the colonists.
As I ran past the Old State House, I remembered how the Declaration of Independence was read publically for the first time from the balcony. And then it happened like it usually does. My mind turns to spiritual things and I thought of another declaration of independence that was also stated publically. It wasn’t spoken from a balcony. It was spoken from a cross. This declaration was “It is finished.” This declaration forged a freedom trail of another kind.
The freedom trail Jesus created was of a spiritual nature. And it was for “whoever will believe.” Jesus’ trail started in a manger when He was born into the human race. The end of this freedom trail leaves behind an empty cross and an empty tomb. The Prince of Heaven agreed to liberate the sons and daughters of men held captive by sin. He willingly sacrificed Himself so that we might spiritually live. The Bible tells us that Jesus was sinless yet He took the penalty for sinful man on Himself. But God delivered Him by raising Him from the dead and now we who believe in Jesus are sons and daughters of liberty.
The Freedom Trail. The one in Boston occurred in the realm of men and led to the birth of a new country. The one in Christ, occurred in the realm of the spirit and leads to the new birth of human souls.
As I ran the Freedom Trail today, I thought about the revolutionary war’s historical figures and their passion for liberty. I started my run at Bunker Hill Monument thinking about the thousands and thousands who died in this first battle of the revolution. The trail then led me to the Charlestown Navy Shipyard where I saw the U.S.S. Constitution, the most celebrated ship in Navy history. She is considered to be the ship that “has never failed us!” (Commodore Bainbridge) yet many men failed to return home alive from her battles. As I passed their homes and churches and the places where their businesses used to be I thought of the Sons of Liberty; James Otis, Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Sam Adams to name a few. They risked everything to forge the path of independence for the colonists.
As I ran past the Old State House, I remembered how the Declaration of Independence was read publically for the first time from the balcony. And then it happened like it usually does. My mind turns to spiritual things and I thought of another declaration of independence that was also stated publically. It wasn’t spoken from a balcony. It was spoken from a cross. This declaration was “It is finished.” This declaration forged a freedom trail of another kind.
The freedom trail Jesus created was of a spiritual nature. And it was for “whoever will believe.” Jesus’ trail started in a manger when He was born into the human race. The end of this freedom trail leaves behind an empty cross and an empty tomb. The Prince of Heaven agreed to liberate the sons and daughters of men held captive by sin. He willingly sacrificed Himself so that we might spiritually live. The Bible tells us that Jesus was sinless yet He took the penalty for sinful man on Himself. But God delivered Him by raising Him from the dead and now we who believe in Jesus are sons and daughters of liberty.
The Freedom Trail. The one in Boston occurred in the realm of men and led to the birth of a new country. The one in Christ, occurred in the realm of the spirit and leads to the new birth of human souls.
Friday, July 25, 2008
God's Timing
A friend of mine sent me a card with the following poem:
When the time was right,
the worlds were made, the flood subsided,
the sea was parted, the walls fell down,
the lion’s mouths were shut,
the storm was silenced, the blind could see,
the lame could walk, the captives went free,
the tomb was forever emptied.
God’s timing is always right,
His power is great,
His plan for you is good,
His hold on you is secure--
and He’ll see you through.
This card prompted an immediate meditative mode on the subject of God’s timing. I admit up front that I do not understand God’s timing and I will probably never understand God’s timing. I do my best to be patient and persevere as I wait on God and confess to finding this extremely hard to do at times. I do my best through quoting Scriptures and trying to have an attitude of patience, including trying positive thinking, but it’s seems like I have to work incredibly hard. When I become impatient I get frustrated. When I get frustrated I begin to question and doubt. I know that whenever I begin to question and doubt that something is not going right in my heart and mind.
As I prayed for a new perspective on God’s timing and my role in waiting on God, I began to see that my be-patient approach is attempted more in my own power than it is in God’s power. Hence the challenges and frustration. I also began to realize there is more than just a need for a patiently-waiting response from me. Submitting to God’s timing also requires trust. I am to trust God’s timing just as much as I am to be patient while I wait for Him.
Instead of focusing more on being patient, I have focused more the last couple of days on trusting God. I have noticed a difference in my ability to be patient and am beginning to see that patience is a by-product of trust, not the other way around. I know that I am doing all that I can do on my part in faith and obedience. When I have done all I can do, I am to continue to trust God and exercise faith and patience.
God is trustworthy. We can trust Him even if He doesn’t operate on our timetable. God's timing is always right.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Who Cares?
I have entered the world of online, social networking. I created a Facebook account.
I have spent time inviting people to be my friend and others have invited me to be their friend. I have perused my friend’s profiles and studied the various applications they have in their profiles that helps reveal who they are. I have read their posts that reveal their moods, what they are doing, about to do, or have done. For example, I have a friend who lives in Texas who wrote that he would be seeing the movie Get Smart later in the day. Another friend voiced her displeasure about her lack of willpower. One friend even wrote how she was living for 4:30 (meaning she couldn’t wait to get off from work). I have enjoyed sharing their day with them as they write about the status of their life at the moment.
I enjoyed seeing the various features of their profiles and decided I would put some in mine. I joined the Addicted to Smallville group and have a quote from the TV show Smallville in my profile. (B.J. was the only friend who had the Smallville application in his profile.) I added pieces of flair; buttons to put on a bulletin board that present quotes or artwork. My favorite piece of flair so far reads “automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.” I even added the Moods application. This application, used by many of my friends, can announce your mood to all your friends. What you must know at this point in the story is that just about all (99.9%) of my friends are extroverts in personality while I am an introvert. So….
After installing the Moods app I browsed through my options for telling the Facebook world how I felt. I selected “worn out and tired.” This introverted personality got more brave and daring and even posted a status of “going to bed early.” Now any one of my friends who looked at my profile would see this information.
I woke up several times in the night thinking about the mood I was expressing in cyberspace and the other information I had revealed about myself. I admit I felt uncomfortable about it. I wasn’t feeling too good about “putting myself out there.” To be flat out honest, I thought, “Who cares?” Who cares if I’m going to bed early? Who cares if I’m using an emoticon image to reveal I’m worn out and tired?” (all you would have to do is look at me and you could figure that one out!). When I woke up the next day I was very disturbed by my Mood announcement and I logged into Facebook, removed the Mood application, and cleared my status. I erased evidence of my life.
That evening I had an appointment with my life coach (who happens to be one of my Facebook friends) and we discussed my courageous yet faltering steps: I put my emotions out there for all to see then erased them. My coach found my story very humorous and laughed the entire time I was telling it showing very little regard for the emotional angst I had experienced! Diana then explained the appeal of Facebook and people wanting to know things about other people. I concluded that Facebook can be a safe place for people to be connected and stay connected, share what they are doing and how they are feeling without stressing the friendship!! However, even as Diana and I talked I kept thinking “Who cares? Who really cares if I’m tired or going to bed early. Who cares if I’m going out for a long run?” It took until the next morning for me to have the answer to that question: My friends care. How do I know this? Because I care about what they write and reveal about themselves in their profiles. If people didn’t care, they wouldn’t have accepted my invitation to be a friend in Facebook.
In our conversation about Facebook, Diana said we are meant to be in relationship with other people. Facebook is just another avenue to express ourselves in relationships. I realize now that friendship in cyberspace is exactly like friendship experienced face-to-face; If I don’t express myself and share what’s going on in my life, I limit the friendship. People do not get the chance to know me and, as a result, the relationship stays shallow. As a result, I can have a shallow Facebook account just like I have the option to have a shallow face-to-face friendship.
This introverted personality is learning by experience how to share life with other people. And to experience authentic, value-added friendship, I realize I need to share my thoughts and feelings. Whether it’s over a cup of coffee at Starbucks, a piece of pie at Baker’s Square, a backyard bar-b-que, a brown-bag lunch at the park on our lunch hour, or the Mood application in Facebook, friends share life together.
Gotta go now. My friends care so it’s time to suck it up and re-install the Mood application. It’s time to share my life with my friends.
I have spent time inviting people to be my friend and others have invited me to be their friend. I have perused my friend’s profiles and studied the various applications they have in their profiles that helps reveal who they are. I have read their posts that reveal their moods, what they are doing, about to do, or have done. For example, I have a friend who lives in Texas who wrote that he would be seeing the movie Get Smart later in the day. Another friend voiced her displeasure about her lack of willpower. One friend even wrote how she was living for 4:30 (meaning she couldn’t wait to get off from work). I have enjoyed sharing their day with them as they write about the status of their life at the moment.
I enjoyed seeing the various features of their profiles and decided I would put some in mine. I joined the Addicted to Smallville group and have a quote from the TV show Smallville in my profile. (B.J. was the only friend who had the Smallville application in his profile.) I added pieces of flair; buttons to put on a bulletin board that present quotes or artwork. My favorite piece of flair so far reads “automatic doors make me feel like a Jedi.” I even added the Moods application. This application, used by many of my friends, can announce your mood to all your friends. What you must know at this point in the story is that just about all (99.9%) of my friends are extroverts in personality while I am an introvert. So….
After installing the Moods app I browsed through my options for telling the Facebook world how I felt. I selected “worn out and tired.” This introverted personality got more brave and daring and even posted a status of “going to bed early.” Now any one of my friends who looked at my profile would see this information.
I woke up several times in the night thinking about the mood I was expressing in cyberspace and the other information I had revealed about myself. I admit I felt uncomfortable about it. I wasn’t feeling too good about “putting myself out there.” To be flat out honest, I thought, “Who cares?” Who cares if I’m going to bed early? Who cares if I’m using an emoticon image to reveal I’m worn out and tired?” (all you would have to do is look at me and you could figure that one out!). When I woke up the next day I was very disturbed by my Mood announcement and I logged into Facebook, removed the Mood application, and cleared my status. I erased evidence of my life.
That evening I had an appointment with my life coach (who happens to be one of my Facebook friends) and we discussed my courageous yet faltering steps: I put my emotions out there for all to see then erased them. My coach found my story very humorous and laughed the entire time I was telling it showing very little regard for the emotional angst I had experienced! Diana then explained the appeal of Facebook and people wanting to know things about other people. I concluded that Facebook can be a safe place for people to be connected and stay connected, share what they are doing and how they are feeling without stressing the friendship!! However, even as Diana and I talked I kept thinking “Who cares? Who really cares if I’m tired or going to bed early. Who cares if I’m going out for a long run?” It took until the next morning for me to have the answer to that question: My friends care. How do I know this? Because I care about what they write and reveal about themselves in their profiles. If people didn’t care, they wouldn’t have accepted my invitation to be a friend in Facebook.
In our conversation about Facebook, Diana said we are meant to be in relationship with other people. Facebook is just another avenue to express ourselves in relationships. I realize now that friendship in cyberspace is exactly like friendship experienced face-to-face; If I don’t express myself and share what’s going on in my life, I limit the friendship. People do not get the chance to know me and, as a result, the relationship stays shallow. As a result, I can have a shallow Facebook account just like I have the option to have a shallow face-to-face friendship.
This introverted personality is learning by experience how to share life with other people. And to experience authentic, value-added friendship, I realize I need to share my thoughts and feelings. Whether it’s over a cup of coffee at Starbucks, a piece of pie at Baker’s Square, a backyard bar-b-que, a brown-bag lunch at the park on our lunch hour, or the Mood application in Facebook, friends share life together.
Gotta go now. My friends care so it’s time to suck it up and re-install the Mood application. It’s time to share my life with my friends.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Stay the Course
I went for a long run yesterday. The longest distance I have ever attempted.
The first part of the course I had marked off for this eleven mile run took me two-and-a-half miles south of my house, a half mile east, then north for four miles before I needed to turn left to run west on the Lake Road, the part of the course that would take me into the longest run I have ever completed. A portion of this four-mile segment took me through the east side of the town where I live.
At about the five mile mark the anxiety I had all week anticipating this long run overtook me. I began to break down mentally and emotionally as doubts about whether or not I could do eleven miles seemed to overtake me. I found myself engaged in this self-talk:
- Eleven miles. I’ll never be able to do eleven miles. Am I crazy for doing this? What am I even doing this for? I don’t have anything to prove to anyone. This is a goal from my twenties. I’m not twenty anymore. The time it takes, the effort it takes. Why do I continue to put myself through this?
- I could turn left at the Shell station once I get into town and head home that way for what would end up being a 7.3 mile run.
- No, I can run seven miles easily. I’ve done that many times before. Keep going past the Shell station and turn at 3rd Street, run to Maple then head home. That would be eight miles.
- No…I can do eight miles. Eight miles isn’t going to move me forward in my training.
I shook myself out of this self-doubting revelry with this:
- You can do this. You need to keep going. The marathon is 26.2 miles and you won’t be able to finish it if you don’t keep to the training schedule.
- Remember, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” I’ve definitely taken more than one step since I started training. I remember when I couldn’t run one mile and now I’m on an eleven mile run.
- But it’s safe to run the eight mile course today…
- NO! Stay the course, Tina, and you can do eleven miles. Just stay the course and keep putting one foot in front of the other.
“Stay the course” captured my attention. I immediately realized that if I was going to run eleven miles I had to stay on the eleven mile circuit I had marked off. If I turned left at the Shell station I would not stay on the course. If I turned left at 3rd Street I would not stay on the course. If I was going to accomplish my goal I needed to stay on the eleven mile course and continue to put one foot in front of the other and turn left only when I got to the Lake Road.
What course are you on? Is it the course of a worthwhile goal like…
- Losing weight and lowering your cholesterol?
- Improving your relationship with a spouse, child, family member, or friend?
- Going back to school to finish that degree or earn one?
- Buying a house?
- Paying off your debt?
- Surviving a grief or recovery process?
- Overcoming addiction?
Are you at a mile marker where doubt, fatigue, or fear are beginning to overwhelm you and you want to turn left before you’re supposed to? If so, resist it! Whatever it is…resist it. Keep putting one foot in front of the other and stay the course.
I believe you can do it!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Cross-training
I wrote in my last entry that I am training for a marathon. I have been running diligently now for a year. I admit to taking four months off to recover from a car accident but other than this temporary hiatus from training, I have been running diligently since June of 2007. I have been a recreational runner for a long time so I have above average length strength. I knew that as I trained and ran more and more miles, my legs would get stronger and have greater endurance. What I didn’t know was that I need more than leg strength to run a marathon. I need upper body strength, too.
I discovered my need for increased upper body strength when various body parts starting hurting; my low back, hips, upper back, and neck. As I talked with a friend who is preparing to be a certified trainer, we discussed my need to strengthen my upper body. As I increased my mileage, my weak upper body could not hold itself up. As a result, I started leaning forward with my shoulders then I would lean forward at my hips. This breakdown in my running form created all the upper body aches and pains. The solution from my fitness trainer friend? Cross-training. I need to strengthen my upper body so I can run stronger and more efficiently.
I purchased a fitness program on DVD and have been doing the strengthening routines on my non-running days. Needless to say I am sore. I still have aches but they are of a different kind. These aches are the result of working muscle groups that haven’t been worked in a long time (if ever!). I don’t necessarily like this strengthening program (I much prefer to run) but I know that in order to finish a marathon, I need to train and strengthen my entire body, not just my legs.
I think our spiritual life is like training for a marathon. We can’t just do one thing and expect to be fully developed even for the task or activity we are doing all the time. We can’t just grow in one area and not others. For example, are you faithful and consistent to give your money and live by Biblical principles of giving but you do not give yourself and your time to others? Do you attend church every time the doors are open but do not volunteer in any area of service or ministry offering your gifts and talents to the church? Do you read your Bible regularly but pray only when things are difficult?
As a believer, I think it’s relatively easy to be strong and growing in one area while neglecting other areas of Christian living. The solution? Cross-train. If you have some aches and pains in certain areas of life, maybe you’re not as spiritually developed in those areas as you could be. Ask God to show you how to cross-train in these areas so that you can become a mature Christian possessing all the strength and endurance you need to run the race God has prepared for you.
I discovered my need for increased upper body strength when various body parts starting hurting; my low back, hips, upper back, and neck. As I talked with a friend who is preparing to be a certified trainer, we discussed my need to strengthen my upper body. As I increased my mileage, my weak upper body could not hold itself up. As a result, I started leaning forward with my shoulders then I would lean forward at my hips. This breakdown in my running form created all the upper body aches and pains. The solution from my fitness trainer friend? Cross-training. I need to strengthen my upper body so I can run stronger and more efficiently.
I purchased a fitness program on DVD and have been doing the strengthening routines on my non-running days. Needless to say I am sore. I still have aches but they are of a different kind. These aches are the result of working muscle groups that haven’t been worked in a long time (if ever!). I don’t necessarily like this strengthening program (I much prefer to run) but I know that in order to finish a marathon, I need to train and strengthen my entire body, not just my legs.
I think our spiritual life is like training for a marathon. We can’t just do one thing and expect to be fully developed even for the task or activity we are doing all the time. We can’t just grow in one area and not others. For example, are you faithful and consistent to give your money and live by Biblical principles of giving but you do not give yourself and your time to others? Do you attend church every time the doors are open but do not volunteer in any area of service or ministry offering your gifts and talents to the church? Do you read your Bible regularly but pray only when things are difficult?
As a believer, I think it’s relatively easy to be strong and growing in one area while neglecting other areas of Christian living. The solution? Cross-train. If you have some aches and pains in certain areas of life, maybe you’re not as spiritually developed in those areas as you could be. Ask God to show you how to cross-train in these areas so that you can become a mature Christian possessing all the strength and endurance you need to run the race God has prepared for you.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
A Rock in My Shoe
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” I Corinthians 9:25
“…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1
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I went running today. I am training for my first marathon and every workout is helping me move closer to be able accomplish this life-long dream. About a mile and a half into my run, I got a rock in my shoe. I felt it as it slid down into my shoe, worked its way under my instep and positioned itself in that spot where my big toe bends. I felt this rock every time my left foot struck the ground. This rock in my shoe and the resulting discomfort that was rapidly turning into pain reminded me of another rock in my shoe on a run years ago. I felt that rock, too, but kept running despite the pain it created for me. With every footfall I thought, “I should stop and get this rock out of my shoe.” But I didn’t. I was too busy running to stop and take care of this problem. Besides, I wanted to be tough and keep going. When I got home and took off my shoe I discovered blood on my sock. I knew the rock caused me pain but I didn’t realize that it had caused damage to my foot as well. The injury from that rock kept me from running for a week as my foot healed. As I remembered the rock in my shoe from years ago and the damage it caused, I decided that I would take the time to stop and remove the rock from my shoe. I did not want to create a problem that would interfere with my marathon training and keep me from running a race.
It was inconvenient taking that rock out of my shoe and I was very self-conscious. I was standing on the side of a country road with traffic going by in both directions. I was sweaty and breathing hard and having a hard time balancing on one foot as I tried to locate the rock in my shoe and remove it. It was a little thing. It took me several attempts to grab a hold of that very small rock (which happen to feel like a boulder) and remove it from my shoe. I remembered the rock from years ago being a small one, too. It’s amazing how something so small can cause such pain and discomfort.
I put my rock-free shoe back on, laced it up, and started running again. As I ran, I couldn’t help but think of spiritual rocks that I allowed in times past to lodge in various places in my soul. I was busy studying the Word and going to church, serving in children’s ministries, teaching adult Sunday School, and even preaching and doing women’s conferences here and there. I was doing everything I knew how to do to try and please God and serve Him and love Him. Yet, I did all those things with little rocks I had accumulated here and there because I was too busy with all these other seemingly spiritual activities. However, despite my good works, rocks of impatience and legalism, pride, frustration and anger, despair and discouragement began to cause me pain and hinder me in my relationship with God.
When God began to open my eyes to these rocks in my soul, I confessed my sins regarding these attitudes to the Lord and He graciously forgave me. As a result, I willingly submit to the refiner’s fire praying that God will cleanse me and purify me from all the spiritual rocks I have accumulated along the way. I also pray to keep from picking up more rocks along the way. I do not want anything that will keep me from effectively running the race God has for me.
What about you? Do you have a rock in your shoe? What about your soul? If so, take the time to stop and get it taken care of regardless of how inconvenient it might seem. Ask God to show you what you need to do remove the hindrance that keeps you from running the race He has prepared for you. It is true in a natural race that only one person receives the prize for finishing first. However, in our spiritual race , God has a prize waiting for each of us when we finish the race of faith. The Apostle Paul wrote about the crown of righteousness God has prepared for each person who has placed their faith and trust in Him. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (I Timothy 4:7-8).
Father God, give me the courage to stop and deal with the rocks in my soul. Teach me how to throw off and remove everything that keeps me from effectively and obediently running the race You have for me. Help me to live with hope regarding the crown of righteousness You have waiting for me Amen.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Influencing Others
I read this quote today: "Just one person taking action can inspire others to do the same."
This quote reveals a principle I have seen in my own life recently. Since I have been running and training for a marathon, two other people I know have made the decision to run the Chicago Marathon. Several other people in my office have acquired an interest in running and all of us have participated in a 5K race (3.2 miles) and two of us a 5 mile race. I made the choice to run a marathon and took action. As a result, other people have chosen to take an interest in running and do the same thing. Another example is my blogsite. I started my blogsite in March and told a couple of people about it. One of my friends started her blogsite not too long after I started mine.
While this is fine, what I truly want is for people to see the actions I take because of my faith and be inspired to do the same. All I can do is live my life for God and let Him use my obedience to affect and influence others.
A negative example of influence is someone I know who left his family for another woman and her children. Several months after this man did what he did, his friend and business partner did the same thing; he left his wife and kids and moved in with the other woman while he is still married and the other woman is still married. One man took immoral action and another followed. As a result, four families have been broken apart as two married men and two married women decided they wanted spouses that didn’t belong to them. They wanted and they took action and went after something that didn’t belong to them. Their behavior has created a damage path a mile wide in the lives of seven children and the four spouses who have been left behind.
As I think about influencing others, I am reminded of many years ago when the Lord told me to be careful because I never know who I am influencing by my actions…influencing for the good or for the bad. I pray that I NEVER influence someone to sin by my behavior. I pray to always and only influence others in a positive way, whether it’s taking up running to improve physical fitness or inspiring someone to imitate some of my spiritual disciplines.
Prayer: Father God, keep me from willful sin and help me to NEVER NEVER NEVER set a sinful example for someone to follow. Give me the courage to trust and obey You in all things so that others will see the good deeds I do and praise You. Amen.
This quote reveals a principle I have seen in my own life recently. Since I have been running and training for a marathon, two other people I know have made the decision to run the Chicago Marathon. Several other people in my office have acquired an interest in running and all of us have participated in a 5K race (3.2 miles) and two of us a 5 mile race. I made the choice to run a marathon and took action. As a result, other people have chosen to take an interest in running and do the same thing. Another example is my blogsite. I started my blogsite in March and told a couple of people about it. One of my friends started her blogsite not too long after I started mine.
While this is fine, what I truly want is for people to see the actions I take because of my faith and be inspired to do the same. All I can do is live my life for God and let Him use my obedience to affect and influence others.
A negative example of influence is someone I know who left his family for another woman and her children. Several months after this man did what he did, his friend and business partner did the same thing; he left his wife and kids and moved in with the other woman while he is still married and the other woman is still married. One man took immoral action and another followed. As a result, four families have been broken apart as two married men and two married women decided they wanted spouses that didn’t belong to them. They wanted and they took action and went after something that didn’t belong to them. Their behavior has created a damage path a mile wide in the lives of seven children and the four spouses who have been left behind.
As I think about influencing others, I am reminded of many years ago when the Lord told me to be careful because I never know who I am influencing by my actions…influencing for the good or for the bad. I pray that I NEVER influence someone to sin by my behavior. I pray to always and only influence others in a positive way, whether it’s taking up running to improve physical fitness or inspiring someone to imitate some of my spiritual disciplines.
Prayer: Father God, keep me from willful sin and help me to NEVER NEVER NEVER set a sinful example for someone to follow. Give me the courage to trust and obey You in all things so that others will see the good deeds I do and praise You. Amen.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Progress...Not Perfection
A few months ago friend of mine gave me a quote she has posted in front of her computer at work. The phrase is “Progress…not perfection.”
My friend knows me well and with this one phrase she was trying to tell me that God does not expect me to be perfect…He doesn’t even expect me to be close to perfect. However, He expects me to grow.
God knows we are not perfect. God knows we are human. After all, He created us to be human and He is well aware of our frailties, our weaknesses, and our bent toward selfishness. These things come as no surprise to God.
We must accept the fact that we are human and give ourselves permission to be human. We will never achieve perfection this side of Heaven so it would be beneficial to our spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being to accept the fact that we are not perfect. In accepting the fact that we are not perfect, we take the pressure off ourselves to be something we cannot be. As a result, we can stop pretending to be someone we are not and we can be real with ourselves and with each other.
For a perfectionistic person like myself, this phrase “Progress…not perfection” provided a brief moment of fresh air. After that brief moment, my perfectionistic mindset automatically kicked in and I started focusing on my progress. Is my progress what it’s supposed to be? Am I behind where God wants me to be? I know I’m not where I want to be but I don’t know how to get there…how do I get there? As I resisted these thoughts and considered my personal growth, I realized that God is the One Who makes me grow. I cannot change me. Only God can change me and lead me down the path of progress. There is an effort of my self-will that I could apply that might change me to a certain degree, but God is the only One Who can truly change me and cause me to grow the way He wants me to grow and to become the woman He wants me to be.
How does this happen? How do we grow? We grow and make progress when we trust and obey. We trust God and believe what He has revealed about Himself and about human life in the Bible. We obey God when we read about something in the Bible that we are to do and then we do it. As we trust and obey we grow. As we grow we make progress. I have heard someone say “I’m not where I want to be but I not where I used to be, either.” I’m learning that life is all about progress…not perfection.
My friend knows me well and with this one phrase she was trying to tell me that God does not expect me to be perfect…He doesn’t even expect me to be close to perfect. However, He expects me to grow.
God knows we are not perfect. God knows we are human. After all, He created us to be human and He is well aware of our frailties, our weaknesses, and our bent toward selfishness. These things come as no surprise to God.
We must accept the fact that we are human and give ourselves permission to be human. We will never achieve perfection this side of Heaven so it would be beneficial to our spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being to accept the fact that we are not perfect. In accepting the fact that we are not perfect, we take the pressure off ourselves to be something we cannot be. As a result, we can stop pretending to be someone we are not and we can be real with ourselves and with each other.
For a perfectionistic person like myself, this phrase “Progress…not perfection” provided a brief moment of fresh air. After that brief moment, my perfectionistic mindset automatically kicked in and I started focusing on my progress. Is my progress what it’s supposed to be? Am I behind where God wants me to be? I know I’m not where I want to be but I don’t know how to get there…how do I get there? As I resisted these thoughts and considered my personal growth, I realized that God is the One Who makes me grow. I cannot change me. Only God can change me and lead me down the path of progress. There is an effort of my self-will that I could apply that might change me to a certain degree, but God is the only One Who can truly change me and cause me to grow the way He wants me to grow and to become the woman He wants me to be.
How does this happen? How do we grow? We grow and make progress when we trust and obey. We trust God and believe what He has revealed about Himself and about human life in the Bible. We obey God when we read about something in the Bible that we are to do and then we do it. As we trust and obey we grow. As we grow we make progress. I have heard someone say “I’m not where I want to be but I not where I used to be, either.” I’m learning that life is all about progress…not perfection.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Thirteen Mistakes I Have Made...and Still Make Sometimes
1. Being complacent when I should have been proactive.
2. Letting someone else's lifestyle choice affect my choices.
3. Taking for granted that a promise made will be a promise kept.
4. Not getting professional help for issues I needed help with sooner than what I did.
5. Believing that I can change other people’s behaviors and attitudes.
6. Isolating myself from other people when I hurt.
7. When asked, “What’s wrong?” I say “Nothing.”
8. Being unaware of the emotional needs of other people.
9. Ignoring my emotional needs.
10. Treating people the way I want to be treated based on my personality instead of treating people based on the needs of their personality.
11. Believing that I could not lose weight.
12. Believing that failure is a person, not an event.
13. Believing that I am not worth loving.
2. Letting someone else's lifestyle choice affect my choices.
3. Taking for granted that a promise made will be a promise kept.
4. Not getting professional help for issues I needed help with sooner than what I did.
5. Believing that I can change other people’s behaviors and attitudes.
6. Isolating myself from other people when I hurt.
7. When asked, “What’s wrong?” I say “Nothing.”
8. Being unaware of the emotional needs of other people.
9. Ignoring my emotional needs.
10. Treating people the way I want to be treated based on my personality instead of treating people based on the needs of their personality.
11. Believing that I could not lose weight.
12. Believing that failure is a person, not an event.
13. Believing that I am not worth loving.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
You Can't Live Life in Bed!
I am a thinker personality type and it is not uncommon for me to wake up in the morning and lay in bed thinking about the day, even the week ahead of me. I imagine the things that need to happen and what might go wrong if I try to accomplish this or that. I naturally slip into thinking about the consequences and next steps after completing the things I have thought about. And what if I fail or can’t do it? I then think about backup plans A, B, C, and all the way through ZZ should my original plan not produce the desired results!! On a recent morning while still in bed I was in this thinking mode and I felt the Lord tell me that I “can’t live life in bed.” It was time to get up and get to it.
Do you live your life in bed? Maybe you live your life in a chair or on the couch. You get up, go to work, come home, and sit in the chair and watch TV until it’s time to go to bed and then you do it all over again the next day. While you are laying in bed, sitting in the chair or on the couch, do you think about the life you want? Do you think about having a more consistent relationship with God? A more satisfying marriage? A better relationship with your children? A more satisfying job? A physically fit body? A general attitude of being able to enjoy life? All of these desires are good ones but to have what you are thinking about you have to get out of bed, out of that chair, or off that couch and you have to do something about it. Wanting it will not be enough. You have to get up and get to it.
If you do not get up and actually live life, you place yourself in a vulnerable position of distraction. Thoughts simmer about what you want but an interesting dynamic happens when you do not actively pursue positive things…you tend to think about what is wrong with the things in your life that you would like to change. As you continue to brood on what is wrong, you can fall prey to all kinds of deception from Satan.
What kinds of deception can we fall prey to when we are not applying effort towards desires that are God approved? Subtle traps like the mindset that nothing will change, addiction to mindless TV, busyness, or shopping . Horrible traps such as an adulterous affair, the use of or addiction to alcohol, drugs, or pornography. Whether subtle or blatantly horrible, private or public, the traps are designed to keep us from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. When we do not live life the way God has designed we open ourselves to all manner of evil regardless of how subtle or horrible.
Do not live life from an inactive state and run the risk of falling prey to those things that can make your life ineffective. Do not allow Satan to distract and blind you from what God wants to do through someone who is willing to live life by His design. Get up and live life with the purpose for which you have been created, to love God and keep His commands. Then let Him lead you and guide you in what you must do to experience a deeper relationship with God and experience joy and peace and whatever you work towards. Nothing will happen if you lay around or sit around. If you do nothing, you have nothing, and you get nothing.
Don’t live life from bed. Get up and get to it!
Scriptures
Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commands, for this is the whole duty of man.”
John 10:10: “I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Do you live your life in bed? Maybe you live your life in a chair or on the couch. You get up, go to work, come home, and sit in the chair and watch TV until it’s time to go to bed and then you do it all over again the next day. While you are laying in bed, sitting in the chair or on the couch, do you think about the life you want? Do you think about having a more consistent relationship with God? A more satisfying marriage? A better relationship with your children? A more satisfying job? A physically fit body? A general attitude of being able to enjoy life? All of these desires are good ones but to have what you are thinking about you have to get out of bed, out of that chair, or off that couch and you have to do something about it. Wanting it will not be enough. You have to get up and get to it.
If you do not get up and actually live life, you place yourself in a vulnerable position of distraction. Thoughts simmer about what you want but an interesting dynamic happens when you do not actively pursue positive things…you tend to think about what is wrong with the things in your life that you would like to change. As you continue to brood on what is wrong, you can fall prey to all kinds of deception from Satan.
What kinds of deception can we fall prey to when we are not applying effort towards desires that are God approved? Subtle traps like the mindset that nothing will change, addiction to mindless TV, busyness, or shopping . Horrible traps such as an adulterous affair, the use of or addiction to alcohol, drugs, or pornography. Whether subtle or blatantly horrible, private or public, the traps are designed to keep us from fulfilling God’s plan for our lives. When we do not live life the way God has designed we open ourselves to all manner of evil regardless of how subtle or horrible.
Do not live life from an inactive state and run the risk of falling prey to those things that can make your life ineffective. Do not allow Satan to distract and blind you from what God wants to do through someone who is willing to live life by His design. Get up and live life with the purpose for which you have been created, to love God and keep His commands. Then let Him lead you and guide you in what you must do to experience a deeper relationship with God and experience joy and peace and whatever you work towards. Nothing will happen if you lay around or sit around. If you do nothing, you have nothing, and you get nothing.
Don’t live life from bed. Get up and get to it!
Scriptures
Ecclesiastes 12:13: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commands, for this is the whole duty of man.”
John 10:10: “I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Sunday, May 4, 2008
God, You Can Heal Me Just Like That!
A month or so ago I was sharing my hurt with the Lord. I am still in a healing and recovery mode after losing something very dear to me and it was just time to cry again and express my hurt and pain and loneliness with tears.
As I prayed to the Lord while crying in His direction, I said, “Lord, You can heal me just like that!” and I snapped my fingers. I went on to the tell the Lord how I believe with all my heart that all He has to do is just make the decision to heal me and all my hurt and pain and loneliness and bitterness would be gone and I could put certain circumstances behind me once and for all and not be bothered by them anymore.
I firmly believe I was right. God could very easily heal me and take away all the pain in an instant. But what would also be taken away is an opportunity to continue to grow and learn how to become the woman God wants me to be. As much as I wish there was a better way to grow, I have come to believe that the greatest growth a person can experience comes in the difficult times in life.
The Bible offers many promises and words of comfort to those who are suffering. The Bible also tells us that good things can happen through our suffering. I have read words of promises and encouragement in the Bible many times in the years in which I have been a Christian but I did not receive them or apply them to me because I was too busy begging God to deliver me from the suffering. I thought that suffering was a bad thing and should be avoided and should not have a place in the Christian’s life. I see things differently now.
It is part of human life to experience pain and suffering. Sometimes the pain and suffering is the consequences of our own choices and behaviors. Sometimes it is the consequence of the choices and behaviors of others. Either way, we can take our pain, suffering, and ourselves to God and ask Him to lead us and guide us through the healing process. As we let God lead us and guide us, we can learn so much about how to trust Him.
I continue to pray for God to lead me and guide me through the healing and forgiveness process. I no longer ask Him why He won’t heal me instantly. I just pray that I have my heart open to be patient with Him as I wait on Him to heal me in His time and in His way.
As I prayed to the Lord while crying in His direction, I said, “Lord, You can heal me just like that!” and I snapped my fingers. I went on to the tell the Lord how I believe with all my heart that all He has to do is just make the decision to heal me and all my hurt and pain and loneliness and bitterness would be gone and I could put certain circumstances behind me once and for all and not be bothered by them anymore.
I firmly believe I was right. God could very easily heal me and take away all the pain in an instant. But what would also be taken away is an opportunity to continue to grow and learn how to become the woman God wants me to be. As much as I wish there was a better way to grow, I have come to believe that the greatest growth a person can experience comes in the difficult times in life.
The Bible offers many promises and words of comfort to those who are suffering. The Bible also tells us that good things can happen through our suffering. I have read words of promises and encouragement in the Bible many times in the years in which I have been a Christian but I did not receive them or apply them to me because I was too busy begging God to deliver me from the suffering. I thought that suffering was a bad thing and should be avoided and should not have a place in the Christian’s life. I see things differently now.
It is part of human life to experience pain and suffering. Sometimes the pain and suffering is the consequences of our own choices and behaviors. Sometimes it is the consequence of the choices and behaviors of others. Either way, we can take our pain, suffering, and ourselves to God and ask Him to lead us and guide us through the healing process. As we let God lead us and guide us, we can learn so much about how to trust Him.
I continue to pray for God to lead me and guide me through the healing and forgiveness process. I no longer ask Him why He won’t heal me instantly. I just pray that I have my heart open to be patient with Him as I wait on Him to heal me in His time and in His way.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Prodigal Child Part II
A previous post titled The Prodigal Child describes the prodigal path as a path of selfishness that leads you away from God. The problem with the prodigal path is it ruins your relationship with God, with others, and with yourself.
The prodigal path is fun and exciting when you first start to walk on it. You embark on a journey that seems to fix any number of problems you might have in your life.
Maybe your marriage is not what you want it to be so you are drawn to someone else, regardless of whether or not they are married, too. You feel the excitement of something new and forbidden. You walk towards that other person in your mind and heart and then in word and deed. You become blinded by sin and are walking the path of adultery and divorce leaving damaged and broken lives behind you. It doesn’t matter that God tells you in the Bible that He hates divorce.
Maybe your prodigal path is one of total withdrawal. You have retreated from life and refuse to be a participant. You do not trust anyone nor do you seek to share your hurts with anyone. You hold on to bitterness and anger nursing it as a reminder of the injuries you have experienced in life. A friend's betrayal, a spouse's lies and adultery, a rape, child abuse, a medical diagnosis, a loved one's death, or your own sin has made you retreat to a life of solitude powered by hurt, loneliness, anger, bitterness, pain, or shame. It doesn’t matter that God has promised to forgive you, restore you to a relationship with Him, and be with you always and to never leave you.
Maybe you are bored or disenchanted with life and one night while surfing the internet you come across a provocative website. The excitement of pornography grabs your attention. Before you know it, you are registered on multiple websites catering to a sexual addiction that steals you of your time and money. It doesn’t matter that God tells you in the Bible that you are to be pure in our thoughts and actions.
Maybe you have pain and torment that you have no idea what to do with. God hasn't answered your prayers for deliverance and you become tired of waiting for Him to deliver you. So you seek to relieve your pain in any one of the following diversions; alcohol, drugs, fantasy, shopping, or gossiping. You find that diversions like these numb your mind or body and make you forget your pain. These things will lead you to walk down the prodigal path of addiction. It doesn’t matter that God tells you in the Bible that He will comfort you and heal you.
It does not matter what your prodigal path looks like or what activities you participate in along the way. The departure point and the destination point are all the same. The departure point is rejecting God and His plan for your life. The destination point is ruin, destruction, and death to you and those affected by your choices.
There is an alternative route to the prodigal path. It is called the path of righteousness, or right living with God. The path of righteousness is a safe path, a healthy path, a life-giving path. The traveling companions on the path of righteousness are God the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit Who will be your teacher, guide and comforter. You also have angels watching over you as you travel the path of righteousness.
There is a famous poem titled The Road Not Taken (also known as The Road Less Traveled) by Robert Frost. In this poem, the traveler states:
The prodigal path is fun and exciting when you first start to walk on it. You embark on a journey that seems to fix any number of problems you might have in your life.
Maybe your marriage is not what you want it to be so you are drawn to someone else, regardless of whether or not they are married, too. You feel the excitement of something new and forbidden. You walk towards that other person in your mind and heart and then in word and deed. You become blinded by sin and are walking the path of adultery and divorce leaving damaged and broken lives behind you. It doesn’t matter that God tells you in the Bible that He hates divorce.
Maybe your prodigal path is one of total withdrawal. You have retreated from life and refuse to be a participant. You do not trust anyone nor do you seek to share your hurts with anyone. You hold on to bitterness and anger nursing it as a reminder of the injuries you have experienced in life. A friend's betrayal, a spouse's lies and adultery, a rape, child abuse, a medical diagnosis, a loved one's death, or your own sin has made you retreat to a life of solitude powered by hurt, loneliness, anger, bitterness, pain, or shame. It doesn’t matter that God has promised to forgive you, restore you to a relationship with Him, and be with you always and to never leave you.
Maybe you are bored or disenchanted with life and one night while surfing the internet you come across a provocative website. The excitement of pornography grabs your attention. Before you know it, you are registered on multiple websites catering to a sexual addiction that steals you of your time and money. It doesn’t matter that God tells you in the Bible that you are to be pure in our thoughts and actions.
Maybe you have pain and torment that you have no idea what to do with. God hasn't answered your prayers for deliverance and you become tired of waiting for Him to deliver you. So you seek to relieve your pain in any one of the following diversions; alcohol, drugs, fantasy, shopping, or gossiping. You find that diversions like these numb your mind or body and make you forget your pain. These things will lead you to walk down the prodigal path of addiction. It doesn’t matter that God tells you in the Bible that He will comfort you and heal you.
It does not matter what your prodigal path looks like or what activities you participate in along the way. The departure point and the destination point are all the same. The departure point is rejecting God and His plan for your life. The destination point is ruin, destruction, and death to you and those affected by your choices.
There is an alternative route to the prodigal path. It is called the path of righteousness, or right living with God. The path of righteousness is a safe path, a healthy path, a life-giving path. The traveling companions on the path of righteousness are God the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit Who will be your teacher, guide and comforter. You also have angels watching over you as you travel the path of righteousness.
There is a famous poem titled The Road Not Taken (also known as The Road Less Traveled) by Robert Frost. In this poem, the traveler states:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
There are two roads in life to choose from: the path of the prodigal which leads to ruin, decay, and destruction or the path of righteousness which leads to life, peace, and joy. In our American culture, it appears as if the road less traveled is the path of righteousness. I have no doubt that if you travel the path of righteousness it will make all the difference in your life. Choose God’s path of right living and as you make the journey, let God minister peace and healing to your soul and to your life.
Scripture and References
Malachi 2:14-16: “…the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. … So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. ‘I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God…”
Deuteronomy 31:6: “…the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
James 5:16: “Confess your sins [faults] to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Psalm 101:2-3: “I will be careful to lead a blameless life…I will walk in my house with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing.”
I Timothy 5:22: “…do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.”
Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”
Galatians 6:8-9: “Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at…[He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” (Amplified Version)
The Road Not Taken can be found at http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/Road_Not_Taken.htm
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
There are two roads in life to choose from: the path of the prodigal which leads to ruin, decay, and destruction or the path of righteousness which leads to life, peace, and joy. In our American culture, it appears as if the road less traveled is the path of righteousness. I have no doubt that if you travel the path of righteousness it will make all the difference in your life. Choose God’s path of right living and as you make the journey, let God minister peace and healing to your soul and to your life.
Scripture and References
Malachi 2:14-16: “…the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. … So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. ‘I hate divorce,’ says the Lord God…”
Deuteronomy 31:6: “…the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
James 5:16: “Confess your sins [faults] to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
Psalm 101:2-3: “I will be careful to lead a blameless life…I will walk in my house with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing.”
I Timothy 5:22: “…do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.”
Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”
Galatians 6:8-9: “Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at…[He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” (Amplified Version)
The Road Not Taken can be found at http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/Road_Not_Taken.htm
Monday, April 14, 2008
The Prodigal Child: A Wayward Son is Accepted and Restored
The prodigal son was a son. He wasn't an outsider. He was a member of the family, yet he left all that was his and lived a rebellious life.
The prodigal son did things his father would never approve of. Yet, his father never tried to stop him from the lifestyle he had chosen for himself. Instead, the father waited. And waited. And waited. The father waited for the son to see the error of his choices. The father waited for the son to come home.
As believers, we can become prodigal children. Before we began a relationship with Jesus, we were called sinners and we were not a part of the family of God. But God saved us when we confessed our sins and chose to live in a way that pleases Him. If we turn our backs on God after becoming a believer we are a prodigal child. God our Father stills loves us, yet He will not force us to stay with Him. We can leave and do whatever we want. We can do all kinds of things that He would not approve of and He will not stop us. What does God do while we walk the path of prodigal selfishness instead the path of righteousness? He waits. And waits. And waits. God our Father waits for us to return to Him.
The wayward son came to his senses after suffering the consequences of his actions. He made the choice to leave the pig pen he was in and return to his father's house. When he got home, he wasn't even up to the house yet when his dad came running out to meet him. His dad rushed to make him part of the family again. It didn't even take the time for the son to walk the length of the driveway before he experienced the love and forgiveness of his father. He was restored and reconciled before he had a chance to say anything.
It does not matter how far we have moved away from God, our Heavenly Father, all we have to do is turn around and face Him, apologize to Him, and confess our prodigal sins. In that moment, we find out how fast God our Father will restore our relationship with Him. We will discover how fast God our Father will pour out His love on us. Love that He has been waiting to give to us. We will experience how quickly we can be accepted again.
Are you a prodigal child right now? Are you on the prodigal path that leads you farther and farther away from your Father God? Or are you in the prodigal pig pen? Maybe you have walked the prodigal path and are living in the prodigal pig pen reaping the consequences of your choices and actions. Have you reached the end of yourself, your abilities, and your resources to live the prodigal life? Has the pain of being a runaway child of God become too much? If so, don't despair. Just turn around and face the direction that leads you back to a relationship with your Heavenly Father. He has been watching and waiting every moment of every day for your return home. Turn your back on the selfishness that started you down the prodigal path. Turn your back on unbelief, addictions, self-indulgent living, adulterous relationships, apathy, laziness, and anything that has led you away from your relationship with God.
Turn your back on prodigal living and find out how fast God's love, forgiveness, grace, and mercy will meet you and hug you.
Scripture
The Lost Son (Luke 15:11-24)
Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
It's Okay to Cry
I think I have finally learned how to cry. You might be thinking “What is there to learn about how to cry? You shed tears and you cry.” For me, crying wasn’t that simple.
The majority of my life has been spent with my emotions locked away. A variety of circumstances taught me how to turn off my emotions when I was a child and, as a result, I cried very little as a child, teenager, or adult. I have not been cold-hearted and emotionless. I have just not allowed myself to experience emotions in a normal, healthy manner.
Sixteen months ago my life was turned upside down and the end result was losing something I valued very much. I was placed in a situation that I had no control over and was betrayed with lies and broken promises. The extreme pain I felt as a result of this situation forced on the emotional switch I kept turned off for many, many years. As a result, many years of hurt and anger were released too quickly and I was unable to deal with my emotions appropriately. Through my circumstance, I learned how to experience emotions and identify them. I also learned how to let emotions express themselves and I have been on a journey to learn how to manage my emotions. I can honestly say with the testimony of my friends and those who know me that I am more mature now after my life was torn apart than what I was before. I believe that learning how to cry has contributed to my growth.
Prior to my life-changing event, I would cry on occasion. However, outside of crying in church I would cry only when stress forced the tears to fall. The tears were nothing but a stress release I could not control. I did not want to cry because I believed crying was useless. I did not cry willingly and hated it when I cried. I did not talk to anyone about the pain I carried inside me for the same reason I did not cry. I kept my pain inside and chose not to talk to people because I believed that talking was useless. Talking would not change the situation or the circumstances. As a result of this belief system, I kept everything inside, all my hurt and all my tears. I realize now my philosophy on crying and talking to others was faulty and did me nothing but harm.
I have learned this past sixteen months that crying can be therapeutic and healing . I found it is true that crying and talking about my pain does not change my situation or the circumstances. But that’s okay because I have learned that crying and talking about my pain changes me. When I cry these days, I cry in the direction of my Heavenly Father believing and experiencing that He comforts those who mourn and hurt. I have learned as I cry in the direction of my Heavenly Father that it is possible to cry as a result of deep pain yet have hope and peace at the same time.
My philosophy about crying these days is this: It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to express pain and hurt through tears. It’s okay to talk and let someone else in on your pain. And even though the circumstances may not change, you can change and rise above the circumstances that caused your pain.
Go ahead. Grab a box of Kleenex or a hankie and cry in God’s direction. Take time to mourn and weep and pour out your heart to Him. Ask God to teach you how to cry if you need to. Ask Him to comfort you while you express your hurt with tears. Ask Him to sit next to you while you cry. Trust your hurts and tears to a Heavenly Father Who loves you and will speak peace and comfort and healing to your wounded soul.
Bible References
Psalm 77:1: “I cry out to God without holding back…” (New Living Translation)
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…”
Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Matthew 5:4: “Blesssed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”
The majority of my life has been spent with my emotions locked away. A variety of circumstances taught me how to turn off my emotions when I was a child and, as a result, I cried very little as a child, teenager, or adult. I have not been cold-hearted and emotionless. I have just not allowed myself to experience emotions in a normal, healthy manner.
Sixteen months ago my life was turned upside down and the end result was losing something I valued very much. I was placed in a situation that I had no control over and was betrayed with lies and broken promises. The extreme pain I felt as a result of this situation forced on the emotional switch I kept turned off for many, many years. As a result, many years of hurt and anger were released too quickly and I was unable to deal with my emotions appropriately. Through my circumstance, I learned how to experience emotions and identify them. I also learned how to let emotions express themselves and I have been on a journey to learn how to manage my emotions. I can honestly say with the testimony of my friends and those who know me that I am more mature now after my life was torn apart than what I was before. I believe that learning how to cry has contributed to my growth.
Prior to my life-changing event, I would cry on occasion. However, outside of crying in church I would cry only when stress forced the tears to fall. The tears were nothing but a stress release I could not control. I did not want to cry because I believed crying was useless. I did not cry willingly and hated it when I cried. I did not talk to anyone about the pain I carried inside me for the same reason I did not cry. I kept my pain inside and chose not to talk to people because I believed that talking was useless. Talking would not change the situation or the circumstances. As a result of this belief system, I kept everything inside, all my hurt and all my tears. I realize now my philosophy on crying and talking to others was faulty and did me nothing but harm.
I have learned this past sixteen months that crying can be therapeutic and healing . I found it is true that crying and talking about my pain does not change my situation or the circumstances. But that’s okay because I have learned that crying and talking about my pain changes me. When I cry these days, I cry in the direction of my Heavenly Father believing and experiencing that He comforts those who mourn and hurt. I have learned as I cry in the direction of my Heavenly Father that it is possible to cry as a result of deep pain yet have hope and peace at the same time.
My philosophy about crying these days is this: It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to express pain and hurt through tears. It’s okay to talk and let someone else in on your pain. And even though the circumstances may not change, you can change and rise above the circumstances that caused your pain.
Go ahead. Grab a box of Kleenex or a hankie and cry in God’s direction. Take time to mourn and weep and pour out your heart to Him. Ask God to teach you how to cry if you need to. Ask Him to comfort you while you express your hurt with tears. Ask Him to sit next to you while you cry. Trust your hurts and tears to a Heavenly Father Who loves you and will speak peace and comfort and healing to your wounded soul.
Bible References
Psalm 77:1: “I cry out to God without holding back…” (New Living Translation)
Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:…a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…”
Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Matthew 5:4: “Blesssed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.”
Friday, April 4, 2008
Heaven Is a Real Place
Every time I would visit my grandmother on my dad’s side of the family, I would hear stories about heaven. My dad’s dad died when he was a young teenager and my grandmother never remarried. She was a woman of unshakeable faith and fully believed that Everett, her preacher husband, was in Heaven with his Lord and Savior. Whenever my grandmother and I would be talk about faith and God things, she would always…and I mean always…get around to the subject of heaven. Her consistent statement was, “I got kinfolk over there, ya know. My Everett is there and one day I will see him again.” When Granny Burton talked about heaven she made it sound so real that it felt like it was a place you could get in your car and drive to.
When Granny passed away I had the incredible honor of offering the eulogy at her funeral. I did the typical opener and described things that I could remember as kid. Things like sharing her hot tea with coffee mate in it (to this day I still drink hot tea with coffee mate in it), eating her Ayds appetite-suppressant diet candies like they were real candy because they tasted so good, helping her draw water from her well and then sharing an ice-cold drink from the ladle with her, and the warmth of the wood stove she had in her living room. But the main thing I shared with family and friends at Granny’s funeral is the legacy of faith that I believe she gave me.
I have never had any significant doubts about whether God exists and is real. I know of some believers who go through periods of doubt but I have not experienced faith-shaking doubts about whether God is real. I firmly believe in a God Who is the Creator of the universe as described in the Holy Bible. I firmly believe in the Son of God being born a human and dying on a cross to save me from my sins. And I firmly believe in Heaven, a place where believers go to live forever when their body experiences physical death. I am confident that I received this legacy of faith from my grandmother who believed it with all her heart and soul and who talked about it with me.
What about you? Have you been privileged to have a family member demonstrate an unshakeable faith in God and a place called Heaven? Or are you the one to be a faith pioneer in your family and demonstrate that faith to others? How real is Heaven to you? Is Heaven a new home you are looking forward to moving into and sharing with God for eternity? Or do you not think about it all?
I readily admit that I am not in any desire to leave earth any sooner than what's necessary, yet I am looking forward to the day when I will see Jesus, my Lord and Savior face to face. I am looking forward to the day when I will see my Granny Burton again and meet my Grandpa Everett who died before my parents even met. I know of other believers who have died and I look forward to seeing them again when it’s my turn to move into heaven. My grandmother gave me the example of living a life that looks forward to the next life and I am thankful to God for giving me such a spiritual example. I pray that I can serve as an example and leave a legacy of faith to others so that I can end up in heaven with as many people who have shared life on earth with me as is possible.
Is Heaven so real to you that if feels like you could get in a car and drive there? What kind of legacy of faith are you leaving?
When Granny passed away I had the incredible honor of offering the eulogy at her funeral. I did the typical opener and described things that I could remember as kid. Things like sharing her hot tea with coffee mate in it (to this day I still drink hot tea with coffee mate in it), eating her Ayds appetite-suppressant diet candies like they were real candy because they tasted so good, helping her draw water from her well and then sharing an ice-cold drink from the ladle with her, and the warmth of the wood stove she had in her living room. But the main thing I shared with family and friends at Granny’s funeral is the legacy of faith that I believe she gave me.
I have never had any significant doubts about whether God exists and is real. I know of some believers who go through periods of doubt but I have not experienced faith-shaking doubts about whether God is real. I firmly believe in a God Who is the Creator of the universe as described in the Holy Bible. I firmly believe in the Son of God being born a human and dying on a cross to save me from my sins. And I firmly believe in Heaven, a place where believers go to live forever when their body experiences physical death. I am confident that I received this legacy of faith from my grandmother who believed it with all her heart and soul and who talked about it with me.
What about you? Have you been privileged to have a family member demonstrate an unshakeable faith in God and a place called Heaven? Or are you the one to be a faith pioneer in your family and demonstrate that faith to others? How real is Heaven to you? Is Heaven a new home you are looking forward to moving into and sharing with God for eternity? Or do you not think about it all?
I readily admit that I am not in any desire to leave earth any sooner than what's necessary, yet I am looking forward to the day when I will see Jesus, my Lord and Savior face to face. I am looking forward to the day when I will see my Granny Burton again and meet my Grandpa Everett who died before my parents even met. I know of other believers who have died and I look forward to seeing them again when it’s my turn to move into heaven. My grandmother gave me the example of living a life that looks forward to the next life and I am thankful to God for giving me such a spiritual example. I pray that I can serve as an example and leave a legacy of faith to others so that I can end up in heaven with as many people who have shared life on earth with me as is possible.
Is Heaven so real to you that if feels like you could get in a car and drive there? What kind of legacy of faith are you leaving?
Monday, March 31, 2008
When You Feel Like Qutting
Source and Author Unknown
“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1
George Mueller was a great man of faith and prayer. He once prayed for a friend's salvation. The man did not respond to Christ but Mueller kept praying. For over 60 years he prayed confidently, earnestly and expectantly for his friend to be saved. At George Mueller's funeral, that friend he had prayed for all those 60+ years gave his heart to Christ.
But It’s Not Working!
How easy it is for us to look at the results of our prayers and conclude, "This is not working. God is not answering. I just need to quit!" Have you ever thought that and done that? Quit on your dream, your miracle, your marriage, your breakthrough? As one wise preacher has said, "It's always too early to quit."
Jesus told a parable of a widow who was being oppressed and cheated by another. She went to the judge for legal protection, and he was unwilling to help her. What did she do? Throw up her hands and quit? Curl up into a ball and detach from society? Curse God and die? NO!!! She kept coming back, day after day, to the judge and bombarded him with her request, "Give me legal protection from my opponent." Although the judge was unrighteous and unmoved in heart by her pleas, her persistence wore him out, and he gave her what she asked for.
Don't you know how easy it would have been for her to quit? She did not know that her persistence was wearing him down. She just knew that the judge was her only hope and she kept coming to Him. Obviously, what appeared from the outside observer to not be working, was indeed working and eventually, the judge granted her request.
Keep Praying
My friend, when you are tempted to quit praying about something because you see no visible results DON'T! Keep trusting God, and keep bombarding heaven with your prayers. Remember, God is not an unrighteous judge who cares nothing for us. God is a good and loving Father who desires to answer us IF we will keep praying and calling out to Him. He is a God who loves persistent prayer because persistent prayer tells God you believe Him and trust Him regardless of the circumstances.
Have you thrown in the towel on something you used to pray about - a friend's salvation, a relationship to be restored, a career change, a prodigal son to return, revival in America? Pick up the towel and get back on your knees again. Pray according to His will with confidence and expectation of an answer (1 John 5:14-15). God promises that He will not delay long over His elect who cry out to Him day and night. He will answer us at the right time with a mighty answer from heaven.
Scriptures
I John 5:14-15: “This is the confidence that we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1
George Mueller was a great man of faith and prayer. He once prayed for a friend's salvation. The man did not respond to Christ but Mueller kept praying. For over 60 years he prayed confidently, earnestly and expectantly for his friend to be saved. At George Mueller's funeral, that friend he had prayed for all those 60+ years gave his heart to Christ.
But It’s Not Working!
How easy it is for us to look at the results of our prayers and conclude, "This is not working. God is not answering. I just need to quit!" Have you ever thought that and done that? Quit on your dream, your miracle, your marriage, your breakthrough? As one wise preacher has said, "It's always too early to quit."
Jesus told a parable of a widow who was being oppressed and cheated by another. She went to the judge for legal protection, and he was unwilling to help her. What did she do? Throw up her hands and quit? Curl up into a ball and detach from society? Curse God and die? NO!!! She kept coming back, day after day, to the judge and bombarded him with her request, "Give me legal protection from my opponent." Although the judge was unrighteous and unmoved in heart by her pleas, her persistence wore him out, and he gave her what she asked for.
Don't you know how easy it would have been for her to quit? She did not know that her persistence was wearing him down. She just knew that the judge was her only hope and she kept coming to Him. Obviously, what appeared from the outside observer to not be working, was indeed working and eventually, the judge granted her request.
Keep Praying
My friend, when you are tempted to quit praying about something because you see no visible results DON'T! Keep trusting God, and keep bombarding heaven with your prayers. Remember, God is not an unrighteous judge who cares nothing for us. God is a good and loving Father who desires to answer us IF we will keep praying and calling out to Him. He is a God who loves persistent prayer because persistent prayer tells God you believe Him and trust Him regardless of the circumstances.
Have you thrown in the towel on something you used to pray about - a friend's salvation, a relationship to be restored, a career change, a prodigal son to return, revival in America? Pick up the towel and get back on your knees again. Pray according to His will with confidence and expectation of an answer (1 John 5:14-15). God promises that He will not delay long over His elect who cry out to Him day and night. He will answer us at the right time with a mighty answer from heaven.
Scriptures
I John 5:14-15: “This is the confidence that we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Resurrection Power: Beauty from Ashes
Today is Easter Sunday, the day when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It is one of the three most honored days in the Christian experience; Good Friday and Christmas day are the other two.
Christmas is the celebration and remembrance of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus chose to leave the glory He had in Heaven and become a human being. As a human, He experienced everything we humans experience such as physical pain, emotional pain, and temptation. Yet, even though He was human, He did not sin.
Good Friday is the day to honor the death of Jesus. He was found guilty by His own people of blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God. The Roman government was involved as the executioners of this crime Jesus was charged with. The Jewish religious leaders struck Him, spit on Him, and cast Him out to be turned over to the Roman government. The soldiers in the employment of the Roman government mocked Him and beat Him without mercy. The struck Him on the head and whipped His body with a metal-tipped whip. They shoved a crown made from thorns on His head. Scriptures record that Jesus was beaten beyond recognition. After the beatings and torture, Jesus was nailed to a cross upon which He died. As the sinless God-man, His death became the final offering, the final sacrifice, for the sins of mankind.
Easter Sunday is the celebration and remembrance that Jesus rose from the grave. As the Son of God, His death was planned by His Heavenly Father so that the resurrection could take place. The resurrection is God’s victory over death and sin. The death of Jesus had to occur. The sinless God-man had to die to take away the sin of those who believe in Him. The sinless God-man had to die in order to go to hell to defeat sin and death itself. The sinless God-man rose from the grave through the resurrection power of God to give all would believe in Him victory over sin and death. Without Jesus’ death, none of these things could occur.
Jesus willingly accepted the task of leaving Heaven and setting aside His glorious majesty as God’s Son to become a flesh-and-blood human. He willingly accepted the Father’s will that He be tortured and die a horrendous death on the cross. Why? Scripture tells us that Jesus knew the good purpose His life, death, and resurrection would provide for mankind. The Bible even says that Jesus knew there would be joy as a result of what He suffered: “…who for the joy set before endured the cross, scorning its shame…” (Hebrews 12:2). God planned and allowed all of this to happen.
This Easter season, I have been thinking about my pain, suffering, and loss. I ask myself if God planned and allowed it to happen. My thoughts lead me to the Bible to try and find an answer to my question.
This Easter I think of Joseph whose story can be found in the book of Genesis. Out of jealousy because Joseph was their father’s favorite, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. While in slavery he was wrongly accused of attempted rape and suffered in prison as a result.
This Easter I think of Job whose story can be found in the book of Job. Job was the most faithful and wealthiest man in all the earth. Satan appeared before God and accused God of putting a hedge of protection around Job. Satan told God that the only reason Job worships Him is because He blesses him and protects him. If God dropped this protective shield then Job would think differently about God. God gave Satan permission to do whatever he wanted to Job except to touch Job himself. As result, Satan causes Job to all in one day, lose his all his livestock, which was his wealth, and lose his seven sons and three daughters in a freak accident. Despite it all, Job does not blame God and the Bible reveals that Job did not sin in his words or his attitude.
Satan appears before God a second time and tells God that Job will curse God to His face if his life is threatened. God gives Satan permission to do whatever he wants to Job except kill him. Satan causes painful sores to cover Job’s entire body yet in all of this, Job does not blame God for what is happening. Job even says, “Shall we not accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).
This Easter I think about my story. I think about the pain and loss I have experienced and I must ask myself some questions? Like Jesus I have asked, “Father, is there any other way than this one? If there isn’t any other way, then not my will be done in me but Your will be done in me.” I ask myself the attitude behind Job’s question, “Do I accept only good things from You, Father God, and reject the idea that trouble might be Your will for me life as it was for Joseph, Job, Jesus, and others?” I consider Jesus’ attitude and ask, “Father, will You help me to see this situation the way You see it? Will You help me to see the joy that will be mine when You deliver me from this pain and hurt?”
Joseph forgave his brothers for what they did to him and told them that what they had meant for evil God worked out for good. Job said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Jesus said, “…not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). The end result of these stories of betrayal, pain, and suffering?
God honored Joseph’s faith by paying him back for all the wrong that had been done to him. Joseph interpreted a dream for the Pharaoh of Egypt about a coming famine and was immediately placed in charge over all of Egypt second in power only the Pharaoh. He was also given a wife who gave him a family. As the famine worsened, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food and Joseph was instrumental in saving the lives of all of his blood relatives, God’s chosen people whose generations would produce the baby Jesus.
God honored Job’s faith by giving him another family of seven sons and three daughters. God also restored Job’s health and gave him twice the wealth he had before his faith was tested.
God honored Jesus’ faith and obedience by raising Him from the dead so that we could have the life of God in us through Him. God honored Jesus’ faith by giving Him a place of authority in the spiritual realm so that we can walk in freedom from the power of sin.
The Bible tells us that as believer’s, we have the same power at work in us that raised Jesus from the dead: “…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand…” (Ephesians 1:19-20).
I confess I do not understand God’s sovereignty, God’s ability, desire, and choice to do whatever He wants to do. There are times when I think that God could have stopped all of the awful and terrible things that have happened that devastate people’s lives.Yet, I trust Him even though I don’t understand. How can I trust Him? Because I read stories of faith like those of Joseph, Job, Jesus, and many others found in the Bible and I see that in every instance, God worked the situation out for the good of those who loved Him. He destroyed the works of the devil in their lives and paid them back for the wrong that was done to them. I trust the God of Joseph, Job, and Jesus to work my situation out for my good and to pay me back for the wrong that has been done to me. I trust the Father of Jesus Who is my Father, too, to exert His power in me to create life out of death in me.
I choose to have the faith and heart of Joseph who forgave those who wronged him and confessed that what they meant for evil God worked for good. I choose to have the faith and heart of Job who lost everything just short of his life and yet he still praised God. I choose to have the faith and heart of my Lord and Savior Jesus, Who lived in submission and surrender to God’ will for Him. I choose to believe that my God can be trusted to take the ashes created by events in my life and turn them into something beautiful for a greater good than I am not able to fully see right now.
This is Easter Sunday. A day that reminds me that God even uses Satan and his evil works to reveal God’s glory.
This is Easter Sunday. A day that reminds us of the hope that God truly can take the situations that Satan intends for evil and work them out for the incredible good of those who love Him.
Christmas is the celebration and remembrance of the birth of Jesus, the Son of God. Jesus chose to leave the glory He had in Heaven and become a human being. As a human, He experienced everything we humans experience such as physical pain, emotional pain, and temptation. Yet, even though He was human, He did not sin.
Good Friday is the day to honor the death of Jesus. He was found guilty by His own people of blasphemy because He claimed to be the Son of God. The Roman government was involved as the executioners of this crime Jesus was charged with. The Jewish religious leaders struck Him, spit on Him, and cast Him out to be turned over to the Roman government. The soldiers in the employment of the Roman government mocked Him and beat Him without mercy. The struck Him on the head and whipped His body with a metal-tipped whip. They shoved a crown made from thorns on His head. Scriptures record that Jesus was beaten beyond recognition. After the beatings and torture, Jesus was nailed to a cross upon which He died. As the sinless God-man, His death became the final offering, the final sacrifice, for the sins of mankind.
Easter Sunday is the celebration and remembrance that Jesus rose from the grave. As the Son of God, His death was planned by His Heavenly Father so that the resurrection could take place. The resurrection is God’s victory over death and sin. The death of Jesus had to occur. The sinless God-man had to die to take away the sin of those who believe in Him. The sinless God-man had to die in order to go to hell to defeat sin and death itself. The sinless God-man rose from the grave through the resurrection power of God to give all would believe in Him victory over sin and death. Without Jesus’ death, none of these things could occur.
Jesus willingly accepted the task of leaving Heaven and setting aside His glorious majesty as God’s Son to become a flesh-and-blood human. He willingly accepted the Father’s will that He be tortured and die a horrendous death on the cross. Why? Scripture tells us that Jesus knew the good purpose His life, death, and resurrection would provide for mankind. The Bible even says that Jesus knew there would be joy as a result of what He suffered: “…who for the joy set before endured the cross, scorning its shame…” (Hebrews 12:2). God planned and allowed all of this to happen.
This Easter season, I have been thinking about my pain, suffering, and loss. I ask myself if God planned and allowed it to happen. My thoughts lead me to the Bible to try and find an answer to my question.
This Easter I think of Joseph whose story can be found in the book of Genesis. Out of jealousy because Joseph was their father’s favorite, Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. While in slavery he was wrongly accused of attempted rape and suffered in prison as a result.
This Easter I think of Job whose story can be found in the book of Job. Job was the most faithful and wealthiest man in all the earth. Satan appeared before God and accused God of putting a hedge of protection around Job. Satan told God that the only reason Job worships Him is because He blesses him and protects him. If God dropped this protective shield then Job would think differently about God. God gave Satan permission to do whatever he wanted to Job except to touch Job himself. As result, Satan causes Job to all in one day, lose his all his livestock, which was his wealth, and lose his seven sons and three daughters in a freak accident. Despite it all, Job does not blame God and the Bible reveals that Job did not sin in his words or his attitude.
Satan appears before God a second time and tells God that Job will curse God to His face if his life is threatened. God gives Satan permission to do whatever he wants to Job except kill him. Satan causes painful sores to cover Job’s entire body yet in all of this, Job does not blame God for what is happening. Job even says, “Shall we not accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10).
This Easter I think about my story. I think about the pain and loss I have experienced and I must ask myself some questions? Like Jesus I have asked, “Father, is there any other way than this one? If there isn’t any other way, then not my will be done in me but Your will be done in me.” I ask myself the attitude behind Job’s question, “Do I accept only good things from You, Father God, and reject the idea that trouble might be Your will for me life as it was for Joseph, Job, Jesus, and others?” I consider Jesus’ attitude and ask, “Father, will You help me to see this situation the way You see it? Will You help me to see the joy that will be mine when You deliver me from this pain and hurt?”
Joseph forgave his brothers for what they did to him and told them that what they had meant for evil God worked out for good. Job said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Jesus said, “…not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). The end result of these stories of betrayal, pain, and suffering?
God honored Joseph’s faith by paying him back for all the wrong that had been done to him. Joseph interpreted a dream for the Pharaoh of Egypt about a coming famine and was immediately placed in charge over all of Egypt second in power only the Pharaoh. He was also given a wife who gave him a family. As the famine worsened, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to buy food and Joseph was instrumental in saving the lives of all of his blood relatives, God’s chosen people whose generations would produce the baby Jesus.
God honored Job’s faith by giving him another family of seven sons and three daughters. God also restored Job’s health and gave him twice the wealth he had before his faith was tested.
God honored Jesus’ faith and obedience by raising Him from the dead so that we could have the life of God in us through Him. God honored Jesus’ faith by giving Him a place of authority in the spiritual realm so that we can walk in freedom from the power of sin.
The Bible tells us that as believer’s, we have the same power at work in us that raised Jesus from the dead: “…his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand…” (Ephesians 1:19-20).
I confess I do not understand God’s sovereignty, God’s ability, desire, and choice to do whatever He wants to do. There are times when I think that God could have stopped all of the awful and terrible things that have happened that devastate people’s lives.Yet, I trust Him even though I don’t understand. How can I trust Him? Because I read stories of faith like those of Joseph, Job, Jesus, and many others found in the Bible and I see that in every instance, God worked the situation out for the good of those who loved Him. He destroyed the works of the devil in their lives and paid them back for the wrong that was done to them. I trust the God of Joseph, Job, and Jesus to work my situation out for my good and to pay me back for the wrong that has been done to me. I trust the Father of Jesus Who is my Father, too, to exert His power in me to create life out of death in me.
I choose to have the faith and heart of Joseph who forgave those who wronged him and confessed that what they meant for evil God worked for good. I choose to have the faith and heart of Job who lost everything just short of his life and yet he still praised God. I choose to have the faith and heart of my Lord and Savior Jesus, Who lived in submission and surrender to God’ will for Him. I choose to believe that my God can be trusted to take the ashes created by events in my life and turn them into something beautiful for a greater good than I am not able to fully see right now.
This is Easter Sunday. A day that reminds me that God even uses Satan and his evil works to reveal God’s glory.
This is Easter Sunday. A day that reminds us of the hope that God truly can take the situations that Satan intends for evil and work them out for the incredible good of those who love Him.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Hurting and Lonely
I am hurting and lonely tonight. The silence in my house seems to echo off the walls. This silence enhances my sense of pain and loneliness.
I called a friend to talk about something that pertains to tomorrow and she sensed something was wrong. This friendship is only a few months old, but it is a God-created friendship and it feels as if we have been good friends for a very long time. Our friendship is mature enough that even after a few short months she sensed something in my voice and asked if I wanted to talk. I replied that there really wasn’t much to talk about. She knows my story and I would not be telling her anything new. I was tempted to resort to old habits and say “I am fine” and not talk about what is going on inside me. Instead of staying isolated, I chose to be honest and said, “I just hurt and I feel lonely.”
My friend offered words of encouragement and reminded me that I am doing the right things and “it won’t always be like this.” She said that what I am experiencing “is only for a season” and that I will not always be hurting or feeling lonely. I knew the words she spoke were true even though the truth feels like such a far away thing. As she spoke her words of encouragement, I remembered something she said in a conversation last week: “God’s timing is perfect.”
I do not know how long I will continue to hurt and feel lonely. Sometimes my emotional state seems like winter, it lasts longer than I want it to. Despite the fact that I do not know how long I will continue hurting, I truly know that God is at work in me healing my broken heart. I know that even when I feel incredibly lonely like I do tonight, I am not alone. God is with me. And even in the midst of the hurt and loneliness, I can sense God’s presence. I can sense His pleasure with me because of the choices I am making in my pain and loneliness to walk the road ahead that He has prepared for me. This road is not one that is filled with selfishness and pain-numbing activities (although I could take that road if I wanted to). God’s road for me is a road that is full of life and hope and integrity. It is a road full of peace and comfort. It is a road full of traveling companions like the one I talked to tonight. It is a road filled with good things that can come from God and God alone. It is a road that is reflective of God's speed limit for my healing. It is the only road I want to travel.
Scriptures for Comfort
Isaiah 43:1-3: “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you…he who formed you… “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God…””
Jeremiah 31:13: “…I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”
Psalm 23:1-3: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul, He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Psalm 28:6-7: “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”
Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
I called a friend to talk about something that pertains to tomorrow and she sensed something was wrong. This friendship is only a few months old, but it is a God-created friendship and it feels as if we have been good friends for a very long time. Our friendship is mature enough that even after a few short months she sensed something in my voice and asked if I wanted to talk. I replied that there really wasn’t much to talk about. She knows my story and I would not be telling her anything new. I was tempted to resort to old habits and say “I am fine” and not talk about what is going on inside me. Instead of staying isolated, I chose to be honest and said, “I just hurt and I feel lonely.”
My friend offered words of encouragement and reminded me that I am doing the right things and “it won’t always be like this.” She said that what I am experiencing “is only for a season” and that I will not always be hurting or feeling lonely. I knew the words she spoke were true even though the truth feels like such a far away thing. As she spoke her words of encouragement, I remembered something she said in a conversation last week: “God’s timing is perfect.”
I do not know how long I will continue to hurt and feel lonely. Sometimes my emotional state seems like winter, it lasts longer than I want it to. Despite the fact that I do not know how long I will continue hurting, I truly know that God is at work in me healing my broken heart. I know that even when I feel incredibly lonely like I do tonight, I am not alone. God is with me. And even in the midst of the hurt and loneliness, I can sense God’s presence. I can sense His pleasure with me because of the choices I am making in my pain and loneliness to walk the road ahead that He has prepared for me. This road is not one that is filled with selfishness and pain-numbing activities (although I could take that road if I wanted to). God’s road for me is a road that is full of life and hope and integrity. It is a road full of peace and comfort. It is a road full of traveling companions like the one I talked to tonight. It is a road filled with good things that can come from God and God alone. It is a road that is reflective of God's speed limit for my healing. It is the only road I want to travel.
Scriptures for Comfort
Isaiah 43:1-3: “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you…he who formed you… “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God…””
Jeremiah 31:13: “…I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”
Psalm 23:1-3: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul, He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Psalm 28:6-7: “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”
Psalm 34:18: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Monday, March 10, 2008
Interesting Easter Facts
Easter this year is Sunday March 23, 2008! He is Risen!
As you may know, Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20).
This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.
Here are some interesting facts about the calculated date for Easter.
Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! Only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And, none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:
- The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from
now).
- The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones
that were around for that!).
- The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from
now).
- The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any
earlier than this year!
As you may know, Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20).
This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.
Here are some interesting facts about the calculated date for Easter.
Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! Only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And, none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:
- The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from
now).
- The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones
that were around for that!).
- The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from
now).
- The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any
earlier than this year!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
As Silver Refined
Author and Source Unknown
Malachi 3:3 reads: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Malachi 3:3 reads: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
A Joke: Scientist Invents a Way to Create Life
A scientist invents a way of creating life, of breathing life into dirt with a cosmic ray he's developed. He says to God, "Hey, God, I can breath life into dirt! We scientists don't need you anymore!"
God says, "Let me see."
The scientist sets up his equipment, a complex array of tubes and gauges and dials and a chamber where his cosmic ray gets focused just right. He picks up a handful of dirt and goes to put it in the chamber, where life will be breathed into it.
"No, no," God says. "Get your own dirt."
God says, "Let me see."
The scientist sets up his equipment, a complex array of tubes and gauges and dials and a chamber where his cosmic ray gets focused just right. He picks up a handful of dirt and goes to put it in the chamber, where life will be breathed into it.
"No, no," God says. "Get your own dirt."
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
My Birthday: God's Pleasure
Today is my birthday and for the first birthday ever I am glad I am alive.
Early in life I acquired an extremely shame-based perspective. I hated everything about me and would regularly heap self-condemnation and self-hatred upon myself. I had suicidal thoughts from a very young age until God delivered me of them when I was in my early to mid-thirties. At that time, I was on my way to work one day thinking that it might be better off to be dead when my thoughts went in a different direction. My desire to die was the result of the incredible pain I was feeling and had carried with me most of my life. I was tired of hurting and thought the only solution to ending my pain was to die. Yet, here was the thought progression driving to work that morning: “If I am dead then my husband is a widower and my daughter no longer has a mother. If I am dead then my parents no longer have their firstborn daughter and my sister no longer has a sibling.” I then went on to think that my employer would no longer have an employee but quickly realized that as an employee I could be replaced! What I realized that morning was that if I were dead then my death would change the lives of those I love. For the first time in my life, I had the idea take hold that I might actually have some value.
Since that day I first thought I might be worth something, I can honestly say and gladly report that God has changed my attitude about myself and about living. The journey of the last decade or so has culminated in a birthday today where I actually said, “Thank You, Father God, for creating me and giving me life.”
Do I like everything about myself? No. Have I committed sins and done things I am ashamed of? Yes. Do I still experience pain? Yes. Have I arrived? Absolutely not. However, I have learned that these truths about myself do not need to make me hate myself. These truths do not make God hate me. I am a believer in Jesus and the Bible tells me that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). God loves me and wants me to see me the way He sees me. God sees me as His dearly loved child.
God loves you and wants you to see yourself the way He sees you as His dearly loved creation. God sees you with His eyes of love. He loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for you so that you might be free from your sin (John 3:16) and your own dissatisfaction with who you are. God does not want to condemn you (John 3:17). God is the One Who created you and He loves you so much. Yes, your earthly parents started the process through conception but God watched over you as you were being formed in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-14). God’s own hands shaped and formed you (Job 10:8). God loves you because you are His creation. God took pleasure in you on your birth day and wants You to experience His love for you regardless of what you have done.
Today I have experienced God’s love. I know I am not perfect. I have committed my fair share of sins and mistakes but I have confessed them to my Creator and He has forgiven me. Despite my faults and sometimes willful disobedience to Him, He continues to love me with an everlasting love.
I am now going to go finish celebrating my birthday and my life by sitting next to a fire drinking Pepsi and eating Oreo cookies that a friend gave to me for my birthday. I will drink my Pepsi and eat my Oreos while I listen to a Point of Grace CD another friend gave me for my birthday. I will “Turn Up the Music” and live this life of mine that God has created for His good pleasure. And my pleasure, too.
Today is my birthday and I sense God’s pleasure with me.
Today is my birthday and I am glad I am alive.
Scriptures
Job 10:8: “Your hands shaped me and made me…”
Psalm 139:13-14: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.; your works are beautiful…”
John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
Music Reference
"How You Live (Turn Up the Music)" can be found on the Point of Grace CD titled "How You Live."
Early in life I acquired an extremely shame-based perspective. I hated everything about me and would regularly heap self-condemnation and self-hatred upon myself. I had suicidal thoughts from a very young age until God delivered me of them when I was in my early to mid-thirties. At that time, I was on my way to work one day thinking that it might be better off to be dead when my thoughts went in a different direction. My desire to die was the result of the incredible pain I was feeling and had carried with me most of my life. I was tired of hurting and thought the only solution to ending my pain was to die. Yet, here was the thought progression driving to work that morning: “If I am dead then my husband is a widower and my daughter no longer has a mother. If I am dead then my parents no longer have their firstborn daughter and my sister no longer has a sibling.” I then went on to think that my employer would no longer have an employee but quickly realized that as an employee I could be replaced! What I realized that morning was that if I were dead then my death would change the lives of those I love. For the first time in my life, I had the idea take hold that I might actually have some value.
Since that day I first thought I might be worth something, I can honestly say and gladly report that God has changed my attitude about myself and about living. The journey of the last decade or so has culminated in a birthday today where I actually said, “Thank You, Father God, for creating me and giving me life.”
Do I like everything about myself? No. Have I committed sins and done things I am ashamed of? Yes. Do I still experience pain? Yes. Have I arrived? Absolutely not. However, I have learned that these truths about myself do not need to make me hate myself. These truths do not make God hate me. I am a believer in Jesus and the Bible tells me that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). God loves me and wants me to see me the way He sees me. God sees me as His dearly loved child.
God loves you and wants you to see yourself the way He sees you as His dearly loved creation. God sees you with His eyes of love. He loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for you so that you might be free from your sin (John 3:16) and your own dissatisfaction with who you are. God does not want to condemn you (John 3:17). God is the One Who created you and He loves you so much. Yes, your earthly parents started the process through conception but God watched over you as you were being formed in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-14). God’s own hands shaped and formed you (Job 10:8). God loves you because you are His creation. God took pleasure in you on your birth day and wants You to experience His love for you regardless of what you have done.
Today I have experienced God’s love. I know I am not perfect. I have committed my fair share of sins and mistakes but I have confessed them to my Creator and He has forgiven me. Despite my faults and sometimes willful disobedience to Him, He continues to love me with an everlasting love.
I am now going to go finish celebrating my birthday and my life by sitting next to a fire drinking Pepsi and eating Oreo cookies that a friend gave to me for my birthday. I will drink my Pepsi and eat my Oreos while I listen to a Point of Grace CD another friend gave me for my birthday. I will “Turn Up the Music” and live this life of mine that God has created for His good pleasure. And my pleasure, too.
Today is my birthday and I sense God’s pleasure with me.
Today is my birthday and I am glad I am alive.
Scriptures
Job 10:8: “Your hands shaped me and made me…”
Psalm 139:13-14: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.; your works are beautiful…”
John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
Music Reference
"How You Live (Turn Up the Music)" can be found on the Point of Grace CD titled "How You Live."
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
When Your Hut is On Fire
Source and Author Unknown
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives...even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives...even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.
Monday, March 3, 2008
A Brick Wall or a Speedbump?
I attended a Mark Lowry concert one time. Mark is a singer and Christian comedian. During the concert he talked about those events that occur in our lives that feel like brick walls. He said these difficult events look like brick walls and feel like brick walls even when we are surrendering the circumstances to the Lord. However, as time goes by and places a perspective on that event in our life, we have the ability to see that what seemed like a brick wall at the time was only a speed bump.
I do not know what you may have going on in your life right now, but I have a situation that absolutely feels like a brick wall and it hurts. The initial event occurred over a year ago and ended with circumstances that created a different reality for me. I did not ask for these circumstances and had no control over them yet they have changed my life forever. Maybe you have circumstances that you are experiencing because someone else is making decisions that affect you and you cannot do anything about it. It is not fair because their decisions affect your life and yet you have no control over what they will decide. Maybe your brick wall is a medical diagnosis, the death of a loved one, a divorce, or a career downsizing. Whatever the circumstance might be, God has promised to never leave us nor turn His back on us. In the Old Testament, Isaiah wrote the following as a word from God:
“Fear not, I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1-3
God never promised that we would not have problems or pain. However, He has promised that He would lead us through the painful circumstances in victory. In the New Testament Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). I have decided that in spite of what has been done to me and how it has changed my life, I will allow the Lord to work in me and change me so that I might get through my circumstances and be a better person as a result of what has happened. It’s just the getting through it that is a challenge.
If we hold on to God and the hope that can be found in the Bible and seek to do what He wants us to do, I have no doubt that we will make it through. Remember, when you hold onto God, He will lead you through your circumstances and you will be a better person as a result.
Scriptures Used
Isaiah 43:1-3: “Fear not, I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
I do not know what you may have going on in your life right now, but I have a situation that absolutely feels like a brick wall and it hurts. The initial event occurred over a year ago and ended with circumstances that created a different reality for me. I did not ask for these circumstances and had no control over them yet they have changed my life forever. Maybe you have circumstances that you are experiencing because someone else is making decisions that affect you and you cannot do anything about it. It is not fair because their decisions affect your life and yet you have no control over what they will decide. Maybe your brick wall is a medical diagnosis, the death of a loved one, a divorce, or a career downsizing. Whatever the circumstance might be, God has promised to never leave us nor turn His back on us. In the Old Testament, Isaiah wrote the following as a word from God:
“Fear not, I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1-3
God never promised that we would not have problems or pain. However, He has promised that He would lead us through the painful circumstances in victory. In the New Testament Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). I have decided that in spite of what has been done to me and how it has changed my life, I will allow the Lord to work in me and change me so that I might get through my circumstances and be a better person as a result of what has happened. It’s just the getting through it that is a challenge.
If we hold on to God and the hope that can be found in the Bible and seek to do what He wants us to do, I have no doubt that we will make it through. Remember, when you hold onto God, He will lead you through your circumstances and you will be a better person as a result.
Scriptures Used
Isaiah 43:1-3: “Fear not, I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Friday, February 29, 2008
Why me, Lord?
Some people cry out “Why me, Lord?” when they experience times of trouble and heartache. The subtle or not so subtle thought is that God should have exempted them from whatever negative situation it is they are experiencing.
Jesus said that in this world we are going to have problems. He told those listening to Him in a very clear and straightforward manner which left no room for misinterpretation, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). If Jesus said we are going to have problems and trouble in life, we shouldn’t be surprised when it happens. The solution to the trouble isn’t to pray “Why me, Lord?” and be miserable over people and things we have no control. The solution is to give yourself and your circumstances to the Lord and trust Him with your life.
Trials and problems occur in life. We cannot prevent them. However, we can choose to trust God to help us grow and become the person He wants us to be as a result of what we experience.
I recently went through an extremely difficult time of which I am still experiencing the fallout. I was in a situation I did not want to be in. This situation involved another person who did not want what I wanted. I had no control over the decision he made. The decision he made changed my life and I will live with the consequences of his decision every day of my life until I leave planet earth.
In the early days of this overwhelmingly painful situation, I cried out to God, “Don’t let this pain be for nothing.” I knew that I could not blame God for the circumstances I was in because God gives humans free will. The other person was exercising his free will outside the boundaries God has designed and I knew that was not God’s fault. Nevertheless, this person’s choices were creating incredible pain for me. As a result, I prayed, “Lord, don’t let this pain be for nothing.” I realized that if God didn’t change me then the pain would be wasted and the circumstances would not bring glory and honor to God.
I continued to pray and sought God through every day of this situation. I am now fifteen months past the beginning of the most painful situation I have ever experienced and I can honestly say that my pain was not wasted. Did circumstances turn out the way I wanted them to? No. Even so, God is working in me in my new circumstances just like He was working in me in the old circumstances. God is delivering healing to my spirit, my emotions, and my thoughts. What Satan meant for evil God is working out for my good (Romans 8:28) in ways I couldn’t even imagine when I was lost in the pain and devastating feelings of what was happening.
What trouble are you experiencing? What pain cuts through your soul like a knife? Share it with God and ask Him to be the Lord over your pain (2 Corinthians 7:10). Ask Him to lead you through your journey of hurt. As He leads, follow. God may or may not change your circumstances, however, He can change you in the midst of the circumstances if you allow Him. Trust God to turn your mourning into comfort and joy (Jeremiah 31:13). It will take time, but God is able to heal the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).
Scriptures
Jeremiah 31:13: I will turn your mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. (New International Version)
Psalm 34:18: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (New International Version)
John 16:33: I have told you these things, so that in me you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (New International Version)
2 Corinthians 7:10: For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret; but worldy grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly (breeding and ending in death). (Amplified Version)
Jesus said that in this world we are going to have problems. He told those listening to Him in a very clear and straightforward manner which left no room for misinterpretation, “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33). If Jesus said we are going to have problems and trouble in life, we shouldn’t be surprised when it happens. The solution to the trouble isn’t to pray “Why me, Lord?” and be miserable over people and things we have no control. The solution is to give yourself and your circumstances to the Lord and trust Him with your life.
Trials and problems occur in life. We cannot prevent them. However, we can choose to trust God to help us grow and become the person He wants us to be as a result of what we experience.
I recently went through an extremely difficult time of which I am still experiencing the fallout. I was in a situation I did not want to be in. This situation involved another person who did not want what I wanted. I had no control over the decision he made. The decision he made changed my life and I will live with the consequences of his decision every day of my life until I leave planet earth.
In the early days of this overwhelmingly painful situation, I cried out to God, “Don’t let this pain be for nothing.” I knew that I could not blame God for the circumstances I was in because God gives humans free will. The other person was exercising his free will outside the boundaries God has designed and I knew that was not God’s fault. Nevertheless, this person’s choices were creating incredible pain for me. As a result, I prayed, “Lord, don’t let this pain be for nothing.” I realized that if God didn’t change me then the pain would be wasted and the circumstances would not bring glory and honor to God.
I continued to pray and sought God through every day of this situation. I am now fifteen months past the beginning of the most painful situation I have ever experienced and I can honestly say that my pain was not wasted. Did circumstances turn out the way I wanted them to? No. Even so, God is working in me in my new circumstances just like He was working in me in the old circumstances. God is delivering healing to my spirit, my emotions, and my thoughts. What Satan meant for evil God is working out for my good (Romans 8:28) in ways I couldn’t even imagine when I was lost in the pain and devastating feelings of what was happening.
What trouble are you experiencing? What pain cuts through your soul like a knife? Share it with God and ask Him to be the Lord over your pain (2 Corinthians 7:10). Ask Him to lead you through your journey of hurt. As He leads, follow. God may or may not change your circumstances, however, He can change you in the midst of the circumstances if you allow Him. Trust God to turn your mourning into comfort and joy (Jeremiah 31:13). It will take time, but God is able to heal the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).
Scriptures
Jeremiah 31:13: I will turn your mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. (New International Version)
Psalm 34:18: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (New International Version)
John 16:33: I have told you these things, so that in me you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (New International Version)
2 Corinthians 7:10: For godly grief and the pain God is permitted to direct, produce a repentance that leads and contributes to salvation and deliverance from evil, and it never brings regret; but worldy grief (the hopeless sorrow that is characteristic of the pagan world) is deadly (breeding and ending in death). (Amplified Version)
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