April 10, 2019

Right Or Wrong?

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. – Romans 8:6

The rant was unexpected and hard. No. It wasn’t directed at me but I was shocked just the same. She had fixed her mind on one thing and all the other things had somehow become attached to it.

That one thing was a “very nice man” who needed to lose his job. Why? Because he didn’t do enough work to justify a full-time position. I spoke truth gently. She didn’t want to hear it but I said the words anyway. The man did many things of which she was unaware. He is a servant. But it also is a pointless thing. His job is secure and she is wasting time and energy being angry about it.

She has convinced herself everything in one church service will be better if this man goes away. The committee that oversees the service has apparently devoted countless hours to discussing this. I now understand why the service is stagnant. The people who lead it are too busy pointing fingers to accomplish anything.

We all do this. We focus our minds on what’s wrong. We decide that something or someone else is to blame. We don’t do anything different. We don’t see ourselves as needing to change. We aren’t the problem we tell ourselves. We also aren’t the solution.

When the mind is focused on the flesh we allow evil to take control. We focus on ourselves, ignoring gratitude and rightness, and head straight down a path headed away from God. Every time. Where are you headed?

January 30, 2016

God Stands True

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -- Romans 8:31-39

Every day I pray for guidance from God. One day recently I received this Scripture from two different devotionals. Yes, indeed, that was a sign.

It was what I needed even though I hadn’t asked the question. I know the answer. God loves me. I am grateful. I will never understand why. I certainly don’t deserve His love but He loves me anyway. God has stood by me. He has never given up on me -- even when I felt like giving up on Him. I am just so thankful!

Last year was hard. My foundation was shaken; the attacks unrelenting. Life will never be the same. When your greatest enemies are those closest to you, well, it’s hard to believe in or trust anyone ever again. Except God. He was there. He sent His angels to help me. He protected me. He comforted me.

There are those who wanted to make me doubt. Others who informed me that “God would not approve” of my actions. Funny how that came from someone who didn’t have a clue what was really going on and who is not a Christian. People tend to “know” God when it suits them and ignore Him when they’re living their daily lives.

My faith was strong. I cried out to God. I was so weak, so broken. God strengthened me. He sent people to hold me and Bible verses to soothe me. And one day I woke up and realized the storm had passed and somehow I had made it through.

I’ve got no illusions left at this point. There likely will be other storms down the stretch. Judgment is easy when you wear a different pair of shoes. But I have a solid rock to stand on, a faith that will hold me up. Nothing and no one can ever snatch me form His hand and that is the one thing I can hold on to during the storms of life.

October 9, 2014

Does God Test Us?

 

On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.

-- 1 Thessalonians 2:4

How does God test us? And why does He when He knows our hearts anyway? Good questions and ones that come up recently during a discussion on 1 Thessalonians.

We all remember Job and the suffering God allowed. It's easy to wonder sometimes if God is allowing us to suffer in the same way or if there is some purpose to it all. Or, maybe, it's all because we live in a fallen world and bad things happen. People get sick and die. Car wrecks claim young lives. Job layoffs happen. Marriages fall apart. Drugs destroy lives. I could go on and on.

I don't believe that God allows evil into our lives. We live in a fallen world so evil is all around us. Such a simple statement with such devastating consequences. We have a sin nature and we sin each and every day. All of us. It could be a wrong thought, a rude comment, a failure to help someone. Whatever it is, none of us are perfect.

God gave His Son so that we could be forgiven. Jesus Christ was and is the perfect sacrifice so that we could be restored to relationship with God. That's how much God loves us. He doesn't want bad for us. He wants to give us hope and a future.

So what's the deal about the tests? God wants a relationship with us. He wants our hearts turned toward Him at all times. We are all tested. How many times each day do we make choices to either do the right thing or the easy thing? How often do we skirt the truth rather than risk ourselves? How often do we worry even though Jesus said clearly not to?

We get so caught up in ourselves, in our lives, that we lose focus of the One who has all the answers. Those tests, if that's what we call them, are to keep us focused on Him.

 Please don't misunderstand what I am saying. I have a dear friend whose granddaughter was recently diagnosed with a serious illness. This will negatively impact her life for years and years to come. This isn't a test from God. It is just an awful thing that happened because of our fallen world.

A local company today announced another 56 layoffs, with more to come. This isn't a test from God. It is an awful byproduct of decisions made for financial reasons and not people reasons.

That said, how do we handle life's disasters? Do we turn toward God or away from Him? Maybe that is the test. God always remains faithful to us. Do we remain faithful to Him? Sometimes. Sometimes.

Have you ever been at a crossroads and didn't know what to do or which way to go? Most of us have at some point or another. Is it a test? Maybe the influences of the culture around us, a culture that seeks money and fame over goodness and charity?

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. -- Romans 8:26-27

Oh, there's that word again. Heart. God looks at our hearts. He knows we make mistakes. We doubt. We worry. We fall down again and again. But He wants to know that we're trying to be like Him. We're attempting to be good and to show mercy and to forgive and to be kind. He knows that not from our actions but from our hearts. God wants our hearts to seek Him always.

Bad things will happen to us and to those we love. They just will. But we have God's promise that one day there will be no more tears and no more sorrow. In the meantime, we have another promise to hold on to.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. -- Romans 8:28

No matter what happens, God will turn it to good if we let Him. It's why a dear friend gives praise for her lung cancer -- because it deepened her faith and showed her what was truly important. Good from bad. Light from darkness.

So don't worry about tests and failures and other such things we can't control. Stay focused on the One who has the answers. Find shelter in His arms. Surround yourself with His peace. He's got this, whatever this might be.

Friday, September 28, 2012

God Hears Our Deepest Cries

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. -- Romans 8:26

I’m really not good at being sick. I’m not good at being less than healthy. I’m not good with weakness in myself. And I’m not good at accepting help.

I know. Most people want help. Not me. I’m accustomed to doing things for myself. It’s that simple and that complicated. One minor surgery doesn’t change a lifetime of independence.

As I child, I longed to have that kind of care. Instead, I was a sickly burden whose parents fought over who “had” to take me to the doctor on that particular day. The adult me prefers to take care of myself.

So it is with great frustration that I’ve been kept even from talking to the doctor’s office. I keep telling myself they meant well but I can’t shake the notion that it’s all about control. Theirs not mine.

It’s sort of the way my life is right now. The harder I try to retake a piece of my life back from the world around me, the more difficult the task seems. I feel helpless and alone. I am so very grateful for a Holy Spirit that understands my pain, recognizing how hard it sometimes is to do the right thing.

Because in doing the right thing sometimes we lose part of ourselves that we never expected to lose. And we gain something else that we never expected either. Somehow it all needs to come together, to mesh into a life. Some days it doesn’t feel like that will ever happen. Some days it seems like I will never be me again.

So I cling to the promises from God, that I am not alone in this journey. And that while I don’t know where I’m headed, He does. When I get scared, He understands. When I don’t have words, the Holy Spirit provides them for me. When tears flow, He dries them for me.

One thing I learned to cling to along the path of life is a God who is always there. I am grateful for that. When I cry out in pain, He comforts me. When I need to be heard, He hears me. No matter what happens, He will carry me through it. Promises to hold on to, no matter what.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Intercede For Others With Prayer

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. -- Romans 8:27

This morning a dear friend will go into surgery for what the doctors believe is stage 3 colon cancer. Another dear friend lies in the hospital in horrible pain and the doctors don’t know what’s causing it. A neighbor had two heart attacks last week and then a triple bypass. Another neighbor finally made it home from the hospital and now waits to see if she’s strong enough for a liver transplant.

It all just seems so overwhelming. We want to help. We long to help. And yet, really, what can we do? We can’t heal them. We can’t ease their pain or take away their fear. But we can pray.

It sounds fairly simple and it is. But prayer isn’t about talking about praying. It is actually praying. It is hitting your knees and pleading with God for healing and comfort and peace for those we care about.

And He hears us. Even when we don’t know what words to say, even when we don’t know what the people we care about need, God hears. He knows because the Holy Spirit searches our hearts and translates words we cannot speak.

Most of us talk about prayer. We tell a friend that we’ll pray for him. We assure a co-worker that we’ll pray for her child. We promise and we fully intend to do so. And sometimes we remember.

What would happen if we stopped everything and prayed right then? How powerful would it be if we called on God in that moment? What could change if we actually used prayer -- our communication with Almighty God -- to intercede for those in need?

Last fall a pastor did just that. My friend was about to have surgery and I asked him to pray for her. And he did -- right then. We called another man over and we prayed right there in the parking lot. Her surgery went wonderfully. Maybe it would have anyway. But I will never, ever forget how it felt to hear his words in that very moment.

Prayer is powerful. God hears us. God. Almighty Power. Heavenly Father. Creator of all things. God hears. Sometimes all we can offer are our prayers -- and that is enough.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Turn To God When You’re Stressed

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. -- Romans 8:26

What do you do when you’re stressing out? Do you yell and take it out on everyone around you? Do you pop a pill? Do you eat? Do you exercise? Do you lie awake all night worrying?

We all have our different ways of coping with stress. And worry. Because worry is such a large part of stress. We just can’t seem to deal with whatever is going on in our lives.

Some of the stuff is awful. Dealing with the death of someone you love. A major illness that threatens everything you know. A child that has taken a wrong path and is headed toward certain destruction.

Some things are minor but they just add up to such a huge burden that it just seems you’ll never make it to the end. Single parents juggling a job, kids, bills, and household chores come immediately to mind. So do couples separated by deployment or caretakers for those who are elderly or sick.

I’ve learned that the best way to calm down is to go somewhere alone and read my Bible. It might only be for five minutes. Sometimes that’s all the time I can grab at that moment. But it calms me. It doesn’t even matter what I’m reading. It’s just that turning to God calms me.

One friend turns to her piano. When she is just so upset that she doesn’t know what to pray, or even how to find the words, she plays out her heart and her frustrations before God. And He hears her and calms His child.

I wonder what would happen if we all turned to God when anxiety takes over. I wonder how our lives would change if we cried out to our Heavenly Father in those moments of stress and worry. I imagine we would all eat less. Get angry less. Showcase our evil tongues less. And we would sleep better knowing that our Creator was taking care of us and those we love.

We are human and we want to handle everything all on our own. But we can’t. There are just too many things we can’t even begin to control. Even those things we think we control, honestly, we don’t. God does.

This doesn’t mean that bad things won’t happen. They do and they will. It’s just part of life in this fallen world. But we don’t have to let those things control us. We can give them to God, along with all our stress and worries.

So next time you’re about to eat a box of chocolate, open your Bible instead. The next time you’re about to lash out at those close to you, open your Bible instead. And the next time you stay awake in the night worrying, get up and open your Bible instead.

God hears. He knows. He cares. Give it to Him and let Him take care of you.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Only One Opinion Matters

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."

-- Romans 8:1-2

I have been condemned by the people around me. I have been criticized and failed miserably no matter the path I take. The verbal bullet is aimed straight at me and there is no relief in sight. I'm thankful that those who judge me so harshly are not the ones whose opinion truly matters. Jesus has freed me from their condemnation.

It doesn't mean the hurt has gone away. Or will go away in this lifetime. I suspect it will always be there, telling me I am not worthy to be a part of their world. That's okay, I tell myself. This isn't my home anyway. My home is in heaven. This place is just temporary. Satan's voice reminds me that it's a good thing too. Home is where a person is loved and wanted. I've finally thrown the towel in on that one.

It's so tiring trying to meet the expectations of others. It's an impossible situation. Someone is always unhappy and I am a convenient scapegoat. It would almost be comical if it weren't so sad. I get blamed for things that aren't even remotedly my fault. Don't get me wrong. I'm far from perfect and I certainly do my share of things wrong. But, honestly, I have nothing to do with the weather or what other people say or do.

I know I'm not alone in this. We've all had someone else take their bad mood out on us. We've all dealt with temper tantrums and irritable people. We've all deserved better at one time or another. Mine just seems to be ongoing and Satan tells me I'm the problem. Maybe I am. Some people are meant to be a thorn and I seem to be particularly good at that. At least in this family.

I'm thankful for the family I have waiting for me in heaven. I look forward to the warm welcome and loving arms of Jesus. I am grateful that I don't have to measure up to the rules and expectations of those around me here on earth. I am enough for God. He made me to be perfect in His eyes. There is no condemnation for those who embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior. No matter what the rest of the world may say.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Jesus Gave Us Hope

"But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." -- Romans 8:25

The season of advent began yesterday. Each Sunday we look forward to Christmas Day and the birth of Christ. We celebrate His arrival and the hope that He brought to a dark world.

Hope. A four-letter word filled with such promise.

Jesus came to save us from separation from God. We are sinners. We didn't stand a chance on our own. Jesus promised that all who believe in Him will have eternal life. His blood restored us to a right relationship with God. Jesus gave us hope.

What is hope? It is a belief that somehow, some way, things will be better tomorrow. Hope is what separates the person who commits suicide from the one who doesn't. Hope is what urges a cancer patient to fight when everyone else has given up. Hope is believing that people can change, no matter their past. Hope tells us that God's love surrounds us even in our darkest hours.

God's love. Amazing, isn't it? After all the heartache we've caused Him, He loves us still. God sent His Son to die for us. He planned it all along. Jesus suffered for us. Truly. But on the first day of advent, and throughout the Christmas season, we remember the hope that came with a newborn baby. We celebrate the promise of a new world, one without sorrow and pain.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." -- 1 Corinthians 13:13

Faith comes when we believe in our hearts that Jesus is God's Son, that He died on a cross to take our sins on Himself and that He rose three days later and now sits at the right hand of God. That's faith. Believing what we do not see, yet knowing in our hearts that it's true.

God sent Jesus in love. Jesus brought hope. Faith keeps us steady as we travel the paths of this life. During this season of hustle and bustle, take time to remember that what we are celebrating isn't found in a brightly colored package. It's found in the hearts of believers who show Jesus to the world around them.