August 13, 2018

What Are You Thinking?

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5

How good are you at controlling the thoughts that race through your mind? Are you good at replacing ugliness with God’s truth? Do you obsess over wrongs done to you? Do you give your troubles to God or do you insist on worrying without ceasing?

Honestly, I struggle with this issue. It’s a constant back and forth. The only thing that seems to work for me is to find an appropriate Scripture verse and repeat it over and over and over again. And, yes, I sometimes struggle with that too.

I have taken Joyce Meyer’s Battle Field of the Mind Bible study. It’s wonderful, by the way. There’s just so much truth in it. What we think about, what we obsess over, is the god that is controlling us. If we think ugly thoughts, we’ll become ugly people. If we transform our minds into thinking like Jesus, we’ll become more like Jesus.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? And, I suppose, it is. In theory, anyway. But day to day frustrations, insecurities and issues have a way of coming full force at us and causing us to lose our peace and, ultimately, our way.

I sometimes wonder how much time we spend worrying about things we can’t change anyway. Have you ever thought of it that way? We want to control our own lives but the reality is that the actions of others impact so much of what happens. Think of it like this: You can be an incredibly safe, observant driver but you can’t control the speeding driver who, high on drugs, runs a stop sign and smashes into your car.

What we can control is how we handle what happens. We don’t have to respond to ugliness. We don’t have to be filled with anger and rage. We don’t have to host a pity party because something bad happened to us. We can give all that to God and walk forward, healed by the blood of Christ.

We also don’t have to give in to the ugliness others throw at us. Jesus told us to love our enemies and to do good to those who seek to harm us. He was right. (I know. He’s always right.) Have you ever done something good to someone who has purposely tried to hurt you? They don’t know what to do with it.

The same is true when you respond in kindness when someone lashes out in anger. They’re trying to pick a fight and you aren’t showing up. You can’t change them but you can refuse to be baited and pulled into ugliness.

Beth Moore wrote a book titled Praying God’s Word. It’s a wonderful book that I recommend to anyone. It has a section on praying for your enemies. It even comes with a fill-in-the-blank section so you can insert the person’s name into the open space. It’s incredibly powerful. It’s really hard to hold on to anger and bitterness when you are literally praying God’s Word over the person who harmed you.

I will probably always struggle with controlling the thoughts that ricochet through my mind. But I won’t give up. I won’t give in to Satan. I will ask God for help and continue to work toward replacing ugliness and worry with His Word. That’s the path to peace and joy.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Do Your Actions Reflect Jesus?

Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord’s royal command found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking that law. -- James 2:8-9

Last week Republican forerunner Mitt Romney said he wasn’t worried about the poor. There are enough government programs to take care of them, he said. He’s concerned about the middle class. I am too. I also wondered why he was ignoring the working poor.

But I’m most concerned about the Christians who cheered him on. It’s as though we’ve gotten so accustomed to making excuses for not doing good, that we don’t understand how far we are from what God has clearly commanded.

I am a cynic. Let me just say that right from the start. I’ve observed many, many instances where those in unfortunate circumstances have taken advantage of the system, they’ve played sob stories to unsuspecting good people, and they’ve squandered opportunities again and again.

That said, the Bible doesn’t say anything about first qualifying the poor as being “worthy” before we help them. As Christians, we’re to do what we can. We’re to share our excess with those in need. Whether we think they deserve it or not isn’t even a factor for us. We’re to do what God tells us to do and trust God to handle the worthiness part.

Beth Moore made an observation in her study on the book of James. She said that we used to focus on race as the great divide. Most folks know better now. So we’ve moved on to social class. Someone with a lot of bling gets better treatment than someone who doesn’t have any bling.

It’s as though we truly believe that someone who has a lot of stuff is more worthy than someone who doesn’t. We don’t necessarily intend to do it. We try to be fair and equitable. But there are the people “like” us and there are those who aren’t. And we treat them differently.

Part of it is strictly a comfort zone thing. We feel comfortable with people who share the same interests and neighborhood with us. We’re not quite sure how to deal with someone who is mentally ill, someone who is jobless, someone who is sick, someone who is homeless.

One of the saddest things to watch is when a person of means suddenly has a financial downfall. It could be through a job loss or illness. It doesn’t matter. But all their “friends” don’t have time for them anymore. People avoid them. And then they know, they see, they understand what it feels like to be treated differently by those they once admired and viewed as equals.

Sometimes being a Christian, really doing what God says to do, is uncomfortable. Sometimes it causes us to reach out to people we’d rather not know and confront issues and prejudices we never knew existed. Like Jesus. He showed us what to do. So why don’t we?

Monday, January 30, 2012

God Turns Anguish Into Joy

But I will call on God and the LORD will rescue me. -- Psalm 55:16

I just love the psalms. Don’t you? They are prayers to God, worship and crying out in anguish and joy. The psalms contain words that could easily fill our hearts in these days in which we live. They are so vibrant and alive.

As a child, I read the psalms again and again. I had a tattered Bible that had belonged to my mother when she was a girl. I loved that Bible so much. The words -- in the King James Version -- comforted me, even as I sometimes struggled to understand their meaning.

I’ve read those same words many, many times as an adult. But somehow, this year, I’m really seeing those words in a whole different way. I’m hearing David’s pain. I’m understanding how often the man after God’s own heart cried out to His Creator for help, for comfort, for defense. I’m understanding why the child that I was turned to the psalms for comfort in the storm that was my life.

He rescues me and keeps me safe from the battle waged against me, even though many still oppose me. -- Psalm 55:18

Anguish is what brought me to God. It wasn’t some powerful sermon or horrible tragedy. It was an unwanted life and a child desperate for someone to love her. What’s your story? We all have one. Some are pretty and some aren’t. But each story is as unique as the individuals who tell them.

Beth Moore said something truly profound in her DVD series on James. She said that if we trust God with our anguish, it will birth something precious out of us. What has happened to us will turn into our deliverance, she said. I’d never thought of it like that yet it made so much sense.

We are the people we are because of where we have been. There is no today without yesterday. Good and bad. We can either be the victim that we were or the child God always meant us to be.

That doesn’t mean we leave the past behind. We aren’t made that way. While we do need to get past it, we can use it to fuel ourselves forward. As a child, Moore was a victim of sexual abuse. Today she leads wonderful Bible studies and has a special passion for abuse victims. She has turned something horrible into something amazing.

God can turn our worst experiences into something joyous by creating a new birth through Him. But we have to show up. We have to believe. We have to trust in what He can and will do. Are you ready for all the amazing things God has planned for you? Let Him turn your greatest sorrow into something amazing too.

Monday, November 21, 2011

God Takes Care Of Us

The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. -- Psalm 23:1 (NLT)

It’s interesting to read the different Bible translations. “I shall not be in want” says the same thing as “I have everything I need” but it’s just a little plainer. A little blunter. A little more to the point.

“I have everything I need.” My LORD takes care of me. Beth Moore noted that women want to be taken care of. We do. Oh, I know it’s not politically correct to say that. And I know some women will get upset and remind me that they can take care of themselves. I know. I know.

Please understand that this isn’t so much a political statement as a factual statement. Women are the caretakers of those around us. We are. It’s not that all women are caretakers or that no men ever are caretakers. But in general, women are the ones who cook and clean, tend the children and the parents. We organize social events and arrange the family schedule. We take care of those around us.

So who takes care of us? Some days it feels like nobody. Oh sure, sometimes others pitch in but when it’s “pitching in” it really isn’t caretaking. Is it? Because “pitching in” means that someone else is really in charge.

I am so thankful that I have a God who cares for me and takes care of me. The Creator of the Universe provides all that I need. Maybe not all that I want but certainly all that I need.

On a strictly emotional level, He loves me. “He renews my strength.” How many days, how many times, have I gone to Him and lay at His feet? Too tired to go on. Too emotionally exhausted to face another day, yet knowing that I must. “He leads me beside peaceful streams.” Yes, my LORD calms my soul.

He loves me. Some days I don’t know how or why, but He does. That certainty fills me in ways I can’t begin to describe. “Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.” He never lets go. He never gives up. He never walks away. His grip is firm and certain, caring and kind.

Beth Moore closed her study on David by reminding us that God is good. He loves us. And, really, that is all that matters. She’s right. When life threatens to overwhelm us, when it seems as though the day will never end and the strength to carry on is gone, look up. You’ve got someone just waiting to take care of you.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Jesus Rebuilds People

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

-- John 11:25-26

One thing I love about Beth Moore bible studies is that she can take a familiar passage and really make you think about the words. We've all read this section about Mary, Martha and Lazarus. We've seen the illustrations of Lazarus walking from the tomb, trailing his burial clothes.

But couldn't the same passage be applied to anyone who is rising up from a season of devastating grief or heartbreak? Doesn't Jesus also raise us up from the ashes that our lives can become, strengthening us and filling us with hope? That was the point Beth made. I think she's right.

Few people have lived without experiencing death up close, whether it's the death of a loved one or the death of a dream. Life changes and we change with it, whether we choose to or not. We don't always acknowledge how devastating those changes can sometimes be. Like losing a job you loved and expected to have until you retired. Like sending a child off to college. Like waking up one day and realizing that all your dreams have been cast aside and you are filled with nothingness.

It's easy to shut down. Numbness seems to dull the pain. Better not to think about it than to face the grief and walk through it. But we must. The alternative is a life that never goes any further than it is today. It is a life lived in shadows of defeat rather than the light of victory.

Jesus offers us a better way. He promises to resurrect our lives for His glory. He gives us hope and courage to rebuild, to believe that tomorrow can and will be a better day. Don't let yourselves merely go through the motions. Rise up. Reach up. It's never too late to let Jesus show you how to be all He intended for you to be.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Believe God

"Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised." -- Romans 4:20-21

I want to have faith like Abraham. I want to believe God in all things. I want to trust that He not only can do the impossible but that He will. I get so angry at myself when I doubt. I know better. How about you?

God told Abraham that he would become the father of many nations. Abraham didn't focus on his advancing age or that his wife was well beyond childbearing years. He didn't see all the obstacles. He just believed God. And you know what? God did just what He said He would do.

Beth Moore wrote a Bible study a few years ago titled "Believing God." Awesome study. What do I remember most about it? "I'm believing God." It was the last phrase of  a bit she taught us to help us remember who God is and who we are in Him. It's a constant reminder to me that all those promises in the Bible are intended for me too. How awesome is that!

That's the problem most of us have. We believe God. We really do. And we trust Him. Totally. So long as it involves someone else. Is it that we don't think we're worthy of His love and help, forgetting that we are His child? Is it because we are like a toddler determined to do the task by ourselves? Pride is a horrible thing, especially when it keeps us from receiving blessings God would gladly give us.

Blind trust is such a difficult thing. We don't always seek the big picture. Actually, we rarely see it. We're so focused on what is right in front of us, of the obstacles we see as insurmountable, that we can't see the possibilities. God can do anything. Just ask Abraham. Believe that you are important enough, valuable enough to Him, that He'll do anything for you. Trust Him. H won't let you down.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Fight For Jesus

"Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division." -- Luke 12:51

"Do not suppose that I come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." -- Matthew 10:34

Well, yes, actually I did. Until Pastor Bob pointed this out a couple of weeks ago. Talk about shattered illusions. All this time I've thought "Prince of Peace." How many times have I read these passages and just kind of glossed over the truth of Jesus' words. No wonder I get confused. I'm trying to mesh what I think I know with what the Bible actually says. And sometimes the two just don't jive.

This peace Jesus is talking about is different from the peace we feel inside when Jesus lives within us. That peace allows us to handle anything that comes our way because He strengthens us. It is defined in the dictionary as a quiet calm. Think peace of mind.

In these passages, Jesus refers to peace among people who believe and those who don't. That includes family members, neighbors and co-workers. You know. The people you want to get along with because you see them most days. Except there's no room for compromise when it comes to Jesus. Either you believe or you don't. Either you accept His gift of salvation or you don't. It's not rocket science but it is an either/or thing.

It's what Beth Moore refers to as a "spine issue." It's the John 3:16 of christianity. Most of us who call ourselves Christians can agree on that. It's all the little details that really don't matter when it comes to who's in and who's out in the kingdom that we get all upset about. Like how someone is baptized or whether you've got to publicly confess your sins or keep it between you and God. Some swear the Bible says women should never teach men in church while others say that's not what Paul meant at all.A few conservative denominations say no one should drink alcohol, even though that's not even in the Bible and is merely their interpretation. I could go on and on. The point is none of those issues matter in the end. God looks to our hearts to see if we have truly accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

The thing is we get so caught up in bickering among ourselves that we aren't paying attention when others -- those who don't accept Jesus as the One and Only -- try to force their views on us. As Christians, we want to get along with everyone. It's that whole love thing. We want to do good to our enemies. We want to be reasonable and rationalize the thoughts and actions of those who disagree with us. But we can't stay silent when it comes to Jesus. We can't let unbelievers take over without giving God's voice a loud opportunity to reach those who haven't heard the Good News. We can't allow ourselves to settle into peace when we need to fight for Jesus.

Silence is no longer an option. Our world is being inundated with the views of those who deny Jesus. It's not okay. Sure. People can believe what they want. God gave us free will. But that doesn't mean they have the right to stomp all over Christian views and Christian rights. It doesn't make it okay to pronounce death sentences on Christians or demand that we silence our beliefs while they receive "minority" rights.

Jesus didn't call us to remain peacefully quiet while the world around us caves in to evil forces. This is the only life we'll spend on this earth. We should use it fighting for Jesus. It's the least we can do after all He's done for us.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

God Lifts Us Up

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand."

-- Psalm 40:1-2

I keep hearing the chorus of a song echoing through my head. "We all fall down. We all need saving. Once in a while. You are not alone." I have no idea who wrote the song or who sings it. I just know that the truth of those words remind me that everyone has peaks and valleys in their life. And we all need God to help us on our journey and, at some point, fix our brokenness.

The scripture above figures predominately in a book by Beth Moore, titled "Get Out of That Pit." Some days I picture God physically lifting me up and setting me up on His rock so that the stormy waves that surround me can't destroy me. Know what I mean?

Some pits we end up in all by ourselves. We dug the hole, climbed on down, then looked around and realized where we were. The climb out is difficult but, with God's help, anything is possible.

Other pits come from the decisions others make that impact on us. I doubt anyone ever expects to become a single, working parent after a cheating spouse runs off. And I doubt someone with a steady, secure job expects the company to go under in a time of double-digit unemployment.

Beth goes over all types of ways to get into a pit. She also gives ways to get out. That's the key. Getting out. Believing yourself worthy enough to find your way into God's loving arms and let Him lift you up on that rock.

It's not an easy journey. The slope is slippery. Satan and his minions are everywhere, trying to lure you back into the pit. Back to failure. Back to disgrace. Back to unhappiness. Back to being overwhelmed by life and your circumstances.

But God can make our steps sure and steady. He can lift us up and give us a firm place to stand. And He will. All we have to do is cry out to Him, reach up to Him, hold on to Him. God promises to save us no matter where we are and God always keeps His promises.

Love Those Who Wish You Harm

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." -- Matthew 5:44

This is a hard one. It goes against our human nature. We don't want to love people who hurt us! We want to lash out at them. We crave revenge. What about all that eye for an eye stuff in the Old Testament?

Well, Jesus addressed that very thing in Matthew 5:38-39. He told us to turn the other cheek -- so the person could strike that one too. Ouch!

Beth Moore wrote a wonderful book called Praying God's Word. It has a chapter on praying for our enemies. The chapter even includes a prayer you can read as you pray for people who would destroy you if they could. I have used that prayer. Over and over. It's amazing. Not only did my anger diminish but I actually started to feel compassion for those who hurt me. I didn't let my guard down. I had changed. They hadn't. But it did teach me a valuable lesson about forgiveness and letting go of anger.