Have you ever wondered what is going in in America? We have over 50% of people who claim to be Christians in America and things just seem to be getting worse. Why is that?
Well, there are people who claim to be Christians but that's just a name to them. Others go to church Sunday but the rest of the week they live for themselves. Still, others go to church but are hypocrites and use the church to gain things for themselves.
I've mentioned this book before but there is a book called Demon by Tosca Lee. In it, a man is tasked with writing a demon's Memoir. The man tried to avoid the demon by visiting a church. But the demon came to the church anyway. The man said he was surprised the demon was able to come in. The demon replied that some of the people who come to church are the worst of all (or something along those lines).
Later in the book, the man asks the demon why he never visited him at his apartment. The demon replies by saying there is too much spiritual static there. See, across from the man lived an older woman. She was a Christian, cared for the man, prayed for him, hosted a Bible study, etc. She walked the faith.
This shows the power of prayer. Prayer can change events. Prayer can move mountains. Prayer can change hearts. Prayer has power. It has spiritual, wonderworking power. God shows us that through his Word. And he is still showing that today. We just need to be looking for it.
So, are you following God? How often do you pray? Do you have faith that moves mountains?
If you haven't guessed by now, I enjoy writing. Well, I should say there are times I enjoy writing and there are times I need to write. By need to write I mean that writing is how I express myself.
I've kind of likened my writing expression to the song from the musical Hamilton. One of the lyrics says, "why do you write like you're running out of time?" That's how I feel when I need to write. If I don't get out that expression then, I will either forget that feeling or the words. Or I will explode depending on why I feel the need to write. Writing is one way I express not just my thoughts and feelings, but my creativity as well.
That's why I usually ask people who I meet this question: "how do you express yourself?" Some people express themselves just by talking. Others express themselves through science, art, or many other things. But the key is to find some way to express your creativity and emotions.
God created us. He CREATED us in his image. That means God is creative and the creator. Since we were created by him in his image that means we are creative as well. Even if you may not feel creative, you are because God made you. You just need to find what outlet you have for your creativity.
Now, if you are good at expressing yourself with your words you may not need to find an outlet. You may not need a way to tell others how you are feeling. But, if you have trouble with letting people in, with telling people how you are feeling, you must find an outlet. You must find a healthy way to get those feelings out. There are many ways to do that. You could write, paint, draw, do science experiments, work on cars, or whatever to show others how you are feeling. Then, you can tell others, "I created this so I can express this feeling I have."
So, do you have a healthy way of expressing yourself? What could you create for God today?
You ever have one of those nights? You know, the ones where you can't sleep because your mind is going. Or maybe your body just hurts. Or for some other reason you just can't sleep. Yeah, that’s been happening to me a lot lately.
I did a lot of reflection on my life. That was good and I didn't dwell on it too much. But now I'm struggling with the future. I am a creature of habit. I like it when I have a plan and know what's going to happen. I can deal with change, but I don't like a lot of changes at once.
That's where my head is at. I'm laying in bed with a tired mind that won't stop. I'm laying in my bed with a body that is physically exhausted from work. But I can't sleep. I know I need it. I know that God is with me, and I don't need to fear or overthink things. But I can't sleep.
I lay here wondering. Wondering where I should live. Wondering what will happen with my relationship next. Wondering if I should stay at my job or find a new one. Wondering if I should continue coaching. Wondering why my social life is pretty much nonexistent. Wondering why my body hurts so much. Wondering why I can feel negative thoughts that I don't like creeping in. Wondering about pretty much every aspect of my life. I lay here wondering.
And, as I wonder, I begin to wonder what I should do at this immediate moment. Should I keep trying to sleep? Should I read, pray, talk to God, sing, continue my trains of thought? The thought that kept interrupting those thoughts was the song lyrics, "oh no you never let go." And that thought helped open a new thought train.
What am I sure of? Honestly, not much. I don't know if I will live in this apartment for the rest of the year, if I will stay in this job, if I will keep coaching, if I will make new friends, or if I will live through the night. Yeah, sometimes the thoughts are kind of morbid. There was nothing I was sure of. Except, that God is with me.
I had that thought then peace washed over me. I was only sure of one thing and that was God. He's there. He's with me I the good and the bad. He's with me when I'm overthinking things. He's with me as I sit here in the dark typing this. And he has a plan for me. He's got one for you too.
So, as I sit here in the dark, I haven't figured out much. I don't have a plan. And, if I'm being honest, that doesn't bring me much comfort. But there is someone who is comforting me right now. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you can have his comfort too. And you can be sure of one thing, or I should say, one person: God.
One weekend I began watching Hamilton. There's a song lyric in that musical that says, "the world's turned upsidedown." They were talking about how the Colonists shouldn't have beaten the British. Now nothing makes sense.
I got to thinking about that. In many ways it seems like the world has turned upside down again nowadays. In fact, it happened that weekend after I re-watched Hamilton. I'm not really into politics but my husband is. He talked about how normally it is the Republicans who want war and the Democrats who want peace. Usually it is the Democrats who want to save the environment. Once Trump introduced RFK Jr. as endorsing him that flipped.
Then, also on that weekend, my pastor said the world is turning upside down. Then he began to talk about some of the things going on in the world and how it's just going to get crazier.
If you don't know the world is going to turn upside down, just read Revelation. Family will turn on family, there will be so much wickedness, natural disasters will be rampant, there will be talk of a one world government with one currency. The world will turn upside down. Some signs are already here, just look around.
We know it's going to happen because that's what God said would happen. So what do we do? Should we panic? Should we become preppers and look out for only ourselves? No, that's not why we were put on this earth.
Matthew 24:14 says, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." This verse, and other verses, tells us what we are to do. We are to preach the good news. It's good because it's from God. It's good because we have hope because of it. We know that no matter what happens in this crazy upsidedown world, God is with us. And the worst thing that can happen to us? We die. When we die, we go to be with Christ. We should want to spread that news to everyone so all can be saved from the prince (Satan) of this crazy upsidedown world.
So, knowing all of this, what are you doing about it? Are you spreading the good news?
You are walking along minding your own business. Suddenly, a large area of blackness is out before you. It calls to you. The doubts in your head rise out if it. Your fears claw up the side and into your head. Anger begins to boil in you. It's in you and calling out to you from the abyss as well. The anger toward yourself for doubting, for sinning. The anger from what that person did to you. It's there and it begins to consume you. Then the guilt comes. How could you give into doubt, fear, and anger? Depression falls on you like a waterfall.
The abyss is calling. It would be so easy to just step in. Just let it take you. It is so much easier than fighting.
Or, perhaps you are already in the abyss. You just keep falling in the darkness. What's the point of it all anyway? But you face a choice.
You can choose to fall in. You can choose to keep falling. Or you can choose to grab the wall and climb out.
The first step is that choice to reach out and grab the wall. But the climb won't be easy. Also, you can't do it on your own. You must call to God. He's the only one who can help you take each step out of the abyss. The abyss is different for all of us. But what we have in common is we need to admit we cannot get out on our own. Isaiah 41:10 says, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." God holds us up if we choose to follow him, believe in him, and ask for help.
So, what's your abyss? How can you take steps to get out today?
She received me as a gift from her parents at the young age of sixteen. This girl had seen a lot of life, but I had not. I was on her left ring finger for many years since then. Through those years I have been through many events with her. I was a visual reminder of a promise made long ago. A reminder to continue to choose God each day. I am her purity ring.
Now, this girl had lived somewhat of a sheltered life compared to some. She didn’t know swear words and hadn’t been exposed to many of the darkness’s of the world. But, in time, she would be. High school friends from soccer would open her eyes to some things. I got a bit beat up then. In college she learned more about the world’s darkness. She watched some movies that were not glorifying to God and a few more nicks hit me.
She began to grow in God more as her college years went by. Eventually, I moved from her left ring finger to her right ring finger as she began to question her worth. She questioned if anyone would ever love her or care. Thankfully, she did not lose herself or me. But there were times of trials when she was weak that she would watch or read something that gave me a bit of a scuff. Yet, on I stayed even with a few marks.
After college, her kindergarten students would question if she was married. To them, having a ring on means you are married. It was interesting watching my owner try to explain why she wore me to five-year-olds! Years later she coached at a goalkeeper camp. Her middle school girls asked why she wore me. She told them that I was a purity ring. None of the girls knew what I represented. In shock, my owner explained what purity meant. One of the girls said, “I wish my uncle would have one of those.” It hit my owner hard. It made her sad that people are not being taught about purity and the promises of the Lord.
A year later she was coaching at a college. One of her goalies needed a break so she went to step in. As she was trying to step in, she was taking me off so her finger would not get jammed with me on. Suddenly, a ball was shot toward her, and I went flying. She was engrossed in the game and did not realize I had fallen on the turf!
After practice, she went to put me back on, but I was not in her pocket! She started to look around on the turf. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Finally, she crouched down and saw my gleam in the sunset. She picked me up and one of her players came over. “Did you find it?” She asked. “Yes,” my owner replied. “I am glad you did not lose it. I know it has sentimental value to you,” the player smiled. My owner looked down at me and smiled. I could tell she was happy to have not lost me, the physical reminder of a promise she made long ago.
Today, as my owner types this, I am still on her finger. You may not be able to read my text that says “true love waits” as much as you could years ago. I may have a few scuffs here and there, both physical and spiritual. Yet, the promise made remains the same. Each day my owner puts me on, she makes a choice. A choice to choose to follow the way of the Lord, not the way of the world. A choice to be pure in body. A choice to do her best to stay pure in mind. Even if she fails at that, she knows that Christ died for her so she can be pure in Him. Purity is a choice.
I am a preschool teacher in a public childcare center. Thus, I do not do much preaching/evangelizing with my actual words there. However, I have also been involved in my church’s Sunday school programs, Vacation Bible Schools, and church camp ministries. Because of this, I learned how to teach younger children the truth about God. One experiment that really helped open the eyes of the kids I was working with was an experiment using bleach.
I remember talking with the kids about how we are born into the world with a sin nature. We are unclean like this jar. The jar had the word sin on it with water and food coloring (or iodine) in it. Then, when we sin, we become unclean as well. I poured some of the sin container into a different jar labeled “you.” This made the jar labeled “you” to become red. No matter what I do, I cannot get the red to separate from the clear water that was in it before.
Then I took at jar with bleach in it labeled “Jesus” and poured some of it into the “you” jar. When you accept Christ as your savior, he comes into your life and cleanses you. I explained this to the kids and asked if anyone wanted to do that. Many of the children did so. I prayed and as I was praying, the jar labeled “you” became clear. When I said, “amen.” The kids’ eyes lit up when they saw that the water was clean again. It was an amazing example of God’s work.
The last thing I did was reminded the kids that Jesus was tempted to sin just like we are each day. I poured the rest of the jar labeled “sin” with the food coloring in it into the “Jesus” jar with the bleach in it. But Jesus did not sin. So, the jar labeled “Jesus” stayed clear!
Jesus can make you pure again no matter what you have done. He is your advocate, brother, and friend. He loves you just as you are, warts and all. Because of that love, he died for you so you could be with him in heaven.
So, what does this experiment mean to you? How can you practice purity each day? Watch the Eustace clip below and think about how it relates to purity. How does the clip relate to you?
Some of you may be wondering, “is it too late for me? Am I too far gone that I could ever be washed clean, be made pure?” Some of you may have made the choice to sin when you didn’t even know what you were doing was wrong, or a sin. Others of you may have made a conscientious choice. You knew what you were doing was wrong but you chose to gratify your carnal desires for a temporary high. Is it too late for you?
Here’s the thing. Sin is like a cage, or a jail cell. You are inside it thinking that you are on top of the world but it is a temporary fix. It’s like putting a band aid on a cut then cutting it open again yourself. You are trapped but it doesn’t seem like you are because it’s your choice to keep sinning. Now, you may be saying, “if this is something I can choose to escape then why am I in the cage or jail that is locked?” The door isn’t locked. The door is wide open. You just have to choose to take one step, then another, and another until you are out and free.
Who opened the door you may be asking? Jesus did. He died to take on the blackness of your sin. If you accept him as your savior and cleanse yourself in his blood then you are free. The chains, the cell, the bondage of sin holds you no more. It cannot be that easy, can it? 1 John 1:9 says: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He forgives our sins and cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness. That time you lied about where you were going. The time you stole candy from the store. When you bought that dope to get high. When you were in your room alone looking at porn. The time you lost your patience and yelled at your family in anger. ALL OF IT IS WASHED AWAY!
But it is your choice. You can choose to stay in the jail with the door open. Or you can choose God. You can choose purity.
So, what is your choice? If you have already chosen purity, how can your continue to grow in God and stay pure?
Okay, stay with me on this one. Obviously, there is the simple answer of “God tells us to remain pure.” That is true and a good enough reason why we should stay pure. But that reason hasn’t seemed to convince everyone in the world as many have chosen the path of sin rather than purity.
The thing is many of us have fallen so far away from the Lord that we think that this life is all we have. If this life is all we have then should we not carpi diem? Or live life to the fullest? Should we eat, drink and be merry? If this is all we have and all we believe in, then that makes sense.
But God’s word tells us that death is not the end. In God’s great grace, he sent his son to be a perfect sacrifice for all of our sins. He did this so we could spend eternal life with him, so long as we accept Christ as our savior, believe in him, and confess that we are sinners. John 3:36 tells us “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” God is a God of love. He loves us all. He wants us to all be with him in eternity. Yet, he cannot be with anything unholy. If we are not washed clean by Jesus’ blood, then we will face God’s wrath.
Some people believe lies. Lies like: “this life is all there is.” “God could never forgive all I have done.” “No one could ever love me because I am unworthy.” “Hell is where all my friends are going, and it will be a party. I don’t want to leave my friends.” They make jokes. They feel depressed. They feel alone. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Even if you take away the argument for God telling us to stay pure, you cannot take away the argument that if there is life after death, and if God tells us there is only one way to gain that life, you must make that choice to follow him or be doomed.
We must follow the words of Psalm 119:37: “turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.” The things and pleasures of this world are temporary. Even if you are the richest man in the world, even if you have sports cars, a mansion, gold, jewels, the latest technology, and more but you don’t have God you have nothing. You cannot take anything you have on this earth with you into eternity. Money, drugs, alcohol, and other things that bring you temporary pleasure are destroying you. You are losing yourself to a world that lies; you are losing yourself to worthless things. But that’s your choice. You can choose the temporary pleasures of this world, or the pleasures of eternity for all time.
So, are you staying pure? Have you made the choice to follow Christ or yourself? How can you turn your eyes from worthless things today?
Now we are finally to the part where we talk about the purity that most people think of when they hear that word: purity in couple relationships. When you finally meet someone, you feel you can spend the rest of your life with, it will feel right. God created humans with two genders: male and female. He created their parts to fit together. He created sex.
Before I go any farther discussing sexual purity, I want to put in a PSA here. I went to a public high school then a Christian college. In high school I learned about sex and how it works. When I got to college, some of the girls in my dorm went to Christian schools their whole life. Some of them did not know how sex works. They didn’t even know about their own bodies! When I asked them what they were taught about sex they said, “not much.” Most of them replied with the idea that they were told sex is icky and we shouldn’t talk about it.
Mouth drop on the floor here. If sex isn’t good, why did God create it to be bonding? Why did he create it and make it feel good to do? Why did he make it as the way to reproduce? Sex is good, in the context of marriage. And yet, churches don’t teach that. Christian schools don’t teach that. Parents don’t teach their children that. In all my years serving as a soccer coach at a Christian college only one player who I have asked what she was taught about sex had a good answer. Her parents taught her that sex is beautiful in the context of marriage. That it should be saved for when a man and a woman love one another and are married. That’s what we should be teaching others. Thus ends my soapbox.
Relationships nowadays are very different than relationships back in Bible times. In Bible times, there was no dating. Today we have dating, dtr, engagement, then finally marriage. And, there’s no set time as to how long each of those things can take. Thus, why staying pure in relationships can be so hard. You are spending time getting to know someone to see if you want to spend the rest of your life with them. The more time you spend, the closer you get. The closer you get, the CLOSER you want to be (if you catch my drift).
This is when temptation comes into play. God has made it clear in his word that we are not to be sexually immoral. 1 Corinthians 7:2 says: “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.” He doesn’t say each man should have a friend with benefits, a concubine, or a prostitute. Each man should have ONE wife. God has also made it clear the dangers of having sex outside of marriage. Each time you have sex with someone, you are bonding with them. You are connected. You are one. All this can be seen in chemical reactions in your brain. There is also the danger of STDs when you sleep with more than one person.
Knowing all of this, how do we stay pure even when it is hard? Psalm 119:9 holds the answer. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” We have discussed how purity begins in the heart. If you have a heart for God, you will read his word to get to know him. As you get to know him, you will not only have more of a heart for him, but you will also know his word more. His word can help you guard your heart. You can pray when you feel tempted or weak. I know it sounds like a simple answer, but it doesn’t mean it is easy. God doesn’t always ask us to do what is easy. He asks us to do what is right.
So, are you pursuing purity in your relationships? How can you grow closer to God?
Many of you know I enjoy Disney movies. They have catchy songs, and you can pull good messages out of many of them. Yet, I don't agree with the basic doctrine of Disney which is, "follow your heart." Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" We are not to follow our hearts. Yet, when we become Christian and try to follow God, the desires God's heart should begin to become the desires of our hearts.
And yet, we are still imperfect. We still sin. Many of our sins come from our mind. We are tempted to, like a dog, go back to our vomit or sin. Many of our sins have to do with our eyes. We see something we want; we think/know we want it, then we face our choice. Will we sin or not? Oh yes, we may go through a struggle in our minds of pros and cons, but we know the truth. We know the answer. We know we should not sin.
Even more so, we should be growing in God so much that battles in our minds don't go on as long. Why? Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Our thoughts are not to be on the things of this world. Everything here is temporary. The only things that matter in eternity is our soul and the souls of others. Whatever work we do to gain things here isn't worth it. The work we do for the kingdom, that matters.
That's why our thoughts should be pure. We should be focused on the excellent things of the Lord. We should wake up thinking: "God please help me serve you and your kingdom today." Then, when we face battles of the mind, we can keep our eyes and our thoughts fixed on God.
So, are you following Philippians 4:8? When you face temptation and battles in your mind what do you do? How can you keep your eyes and thoughts focused on God?
Purity starts with the heart. There's a reason why when we are asked to pray "the prayer" to accept Christ that we are asked to "ask Christ into our heart." If you have ever heard of the salvation bracelet, you know the first color is black. Black represents our sin. We are all sinners. We all need to be cleansed.
Psalm 51:10 says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." How do we get this clean heart? Do we try to stop sinning? Well, that's a start. But we cannot cleanse ourselves. It's like when something sticky gets on the floor. We try to clean it with just water and soap, but it doesn't work. Sometimes we need something stronger, like goo be gone to clean it.
Jesus' blood is our sin be gone. When we accept him in our heart and ask him to forgive our sins, he does it. We are clean. We are white as snow. We are pure! Does that mean we should keep sinning? No, Romans 6:1-2 says, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?" That's where purity in the heart comes in. We are to grow in God. We are to try to follow him. That means we are to try to stop sinning.
Matthew 5:8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." I don't know about you, but I want to see God. I want my heart to be pure. I want my motives and desires to be God's motives and desires. I want his will to be done. We should all, as Christians, be at the point where we want to reflect God's glory so much so that he is seen in us. That when people look at us, they don't see us so much as they see God. Not in an idol like way but like in a, "you needed water, and I gave it to you, but it was God giving it to you through me." We don't deserve the glory. He does.
So, are you pure in heart? How can you follow God each day? How are you reflecting His glory?
Normally when someone thinks of purity, they automatically think of sexual purity. In other words, not having sex before marriage. But purity is about more than not having sex.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines pure as "free from dust, dirt, or taint." That doesn't mention sex at all. But it does relate to sex. Yet, to be pure, we need to be righteous. We need to be clean. We are free from dust, dirt, or taint. This means we are free from sin.
James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." Ooo, a phrase that hits hard for me in this passage is "cleanse your hands." If you have ever worked with kids, you know many of them don't know how to wash their hands. It's nasty. Their hands have dirt, grime, and germs all over them. They need help to clean them.
We also need help to clean our hands from sin. We try to be righteous and follow God, but we fall short. That's why Jesus died: to cleanse us from our sin. We need to draw near to him. We need to learn about him. We need to try to stop sinning, so our hearts stay clean and pure.
See, purity applies to all areas of life. Are we pure in our actions, our words, our relationships? In our hearts? Some of us act pure and holier-than-thou in our lives. That's not helping the kingdom. We need to be authentic with others. We cannot continue to praise Jesus on Sunday but go on sinning the rest of the week. The double life isn't helping you. It isn't helping spread the Gospel. It isn't helping anything. Purity happens every day, every minute, every second. Purity is a choice.
So, are you living a double life? Are you practicing purity? How can you open a conversation on purity today?
"Our goal is to not kiss until we are engaged." Once I said that to my friends their shocked faces surfaced. They already knew my relationship with Nate was not going to be a typical one, at least in the way the world thinks as typical. We both knew we wanted to stay pure till marriage. In fact, since I was in high school, I have worn a purity ring every day (other than when I played soccer, you do not want to jam your finger with a ring on, trust me).
Thus, Nate and I made a choice to set our boundary at holding one another close. Why there? Does the Bible say anything against kissing before marriage? No, but neither does it say anything about dating. In Bible times, many marriages were arranged. Some may have married for love but many times the couples wouldn't spend any alone time before the wedding.
Here is what the Bible says in Hebrews 13:4 "Let the marriage bed be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." The marriage bed is to be held in honor. What does that mean? That means if you do anything with someone else and you aren't married, you aren't honoring the marriage bed. Each time you have sex with someone not only are you creating an invisible emotional bond with them, but you are also possibly sleeping with someone else's significant other.
Now you may be asking, what does that have to do with kissing? Well, unless you are like a friend of mine from college who used to think that when her parents kissed it made a baby, not much. But God created us to be relational beings. He created sex as something good, in a marriage between a man and a woman.
But 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds us of something that has to do with kissing. It says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." When you are physically attracted, or in love, to someone your bodies will want to do what God created them to do. There's only one boundary between kissing and sex and that further physical touch. To not be tempted, Nate and I decided to put in a barrier, so we don't go further.
We are sort of doing what Eve did in the garden. She said they could not eat the fruit or touch it or they would due. God never said they couldn't touch the fruit. She put in this barrier so she would not fall into temptation and sin. And you can see how well that worked out.
Will some people think we are strange? Yes, but that's no different than how we are viewed other days. We are set apart. We are in the world but not of it. This doesn't make us any better than others. It just means we are trying to live a different life to reflect God's glory.
So, are you staying pure in your relationship? What temptation do you face? How can you reflect God's glory today?
One thing I enjoy doing is acting. It doesn’t have to be in a play, though I have done that. Many times, if you see me teach, you will see me act like other people, use accents, quote movies, and more. I’m not going to lie; I enjoy pretending to be someone else even if it just for a short time. You know, you can get caught up in acting like another character.
But the word character has more than one meaning. There are characters like a book or movie characters. Then there is character like what you do when no one is watching. There are times I will pretend to be someone else when I am by myself for my own entertainment. But most of the time I am with someone else who I am trying to get to laugh, or I am just in the mood to act like someone else.
Now there is no problem with pretending to be someone or something else. In fact, I encourage my students to do that because it sparks their creativity and helps them grow cognitively. The problem occurs when we pretend to be someone, we are not all the time. Or when we choose not to have character when no one is watching.
Proverbs 10:9 says, “whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.” Part of having character is being honest. It is being real and authentic. It is choosing to do the right thing even when no one is watching. If we don’t do those things not only are we sinning, but we are not being who God made us to be. God created us and loves us. He made us unique and special. If we pretend to be someone we are not then we are going against our creator. That’s why we must choose integrity, authenticity, and character.
So, are you choosing to have character each day? How can you be yourself with others and rest in who God made you to be?
I have worshipped God in many places. Technically in all you do, you can worship. But I am talking about worship in a community and singing. Though worship should be between you and God, it sometimes feels like you are being judged during worship. If you look around during worship you may see some people raising their arms, crying, dancing, etc. Sometimes people are not focused on the song, instead they are focused on what others are doing.
Worship should be something sacred. You should not feel judged for how you worship, and you should not judge others as you should be focused on the Lord. Yet, judgement will happen. In 2 Samuel 6:14-22 we see David dancing in front of the Ark of the Lord in a priestly garment. The king of Israel is worshiping the Lord for all to see by dancing. Now, either that is something that is looked down upon or the king was a bad dancer ;) Whatever the case, Michal, his wife, judges him. She says he shamed himself. David replies, “I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!”
David didn’t care how he was judged. He just cared about praising the Lord. There are times where I will sway or dance during worship. The only time I never felt judged about how I worshiped was at Breakout Church. One of the first things the pastor said was worship how you feel led. I sat and drank in the words that God was speaking to me during that worship. It was amazing to see, hear, and feel the worship there. There are people dancing, yelling, speaking in tongues, pacing, flagging, and much more. They do whatever they feel led to do and there is freedom in that. I would love to see us stop judging others so much and focus more on connecting with the Lord. God gives us different gifts and personalities for a reason. So why don’t we praise him for that and all that he has done for us?
There is a movie where lions rule the pride lands. If you think I am talking about The Lion King, you are wrong. I am talking about The Lion King 2. In this movie Simba is king and he has a daughter. His daughter becomes friends with a lion named Kovu who was chosen by Scar (the villain in the last movie) to be king after Scar. That was taken from him when Simba took the kingdom back.
I won’t get into all the details as you can watch it for yourself, but there is a song that happens in the movie called “One of Us.” In the song, Simba and the other animals of the pride lands exile Kovu. They do not give him a chance to tell his side of the story. He is kicked out and beaten by the other animals. Not a very loving moment, but the song does have a good beat.
All this got me thinking: do I ever act like Simba? Then I asked, does the church ever act like Simba? It is true that we are all sinners and have turned away from God. Thus, it should also be true that we understand grace; and that we should all be given a second chance. And yet, there are times when I think we judge others based off their sin.
For example, let’s say someone you knew lied. Would you think they were as bad or in need of as much forgiveness as someone who murdered someone else? Yes, I went with the extreme example. What about someone who wears black or rainbow colors? Would you let them in the church? What about the person who smokes and drinks? What about those who do not smell as good and cannot offer any monetary gifts?
You get my drift. Sometimes I think we as Christians tend to judge others based off their appearance, what they do, or what they’ve done. Yet, that’s not what we are called to do. James 4:11-12 says, “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” You don’t know that person’s life. You don’t know what they are thinking. You don’t know their heart. Only that person and God knows that.
What gives you a right to declare judgment on that person? What gives you a right to hurt that person? You don’t get that right. You get the privilege of praying for that person. Of knowing that person. Of loving that person as God loves them and us. You never know what someone may do for the kingdom. You never know the difference that one choice can make in someone’s life.
So, do you judge others when you should love them? How can you show love to someone today?
Have you ever taken a sip of iced coffee or of soda and it is warm? Have you ever taken a sip or hot chocolate or coffee and it is cold? Both experiences are not very pleasurable. It's not how the drink is meant to be enjoyed. Cold drinks should be cold. Warm drinks should be warm. But have you ever asked yourself if maybe you do enjoy being lukewarm?
What? Who would like that? Well, I have found that many people like being on the fence. It doesn't sound like a very comfortable position but people do enjoy it. People like waiting for the result of elections, push button issues, wars, or anything that divides us to see who wins. Then they say, "oh yeah I was on their side the whole time." But of people were watching them, they would know better. They would know that the only reason that person chose that side is because that side won.
Some people like to be this way with their faith. Maybe they have read enough of the bible to know God wins but they don't want to give their life over to him. Maybe they want to keep that one sin. They don't want to give control to God and be all in.
In choosing to do that, they are choosing to follow themselves, thus following Satan. There is no I'm going to follow God a little. There is no, I'm going to just dip my toe in this side a bit but keep the rest of me on this side. You are either all in on Gods side or you are on Satan's side. The choice is yours.
So, are you following God or Satan? How can you you choose to be all in today? How can you grow in God today?
I enjoy asking random questions. My boyfriend ends up being on the receiving end of most of these questions many times. One day I asked him, “if I had a superpower what would it be?” I was expecting something like flying or turning invisible with a thoughtful reason. Instead, he said, “your power would be to fix people.” What he meant by that is I have a tendency to see potential in people and I know how far they could go if they would just do one thing. Or I see people who are hurting, and I want to help them.
I thought about it, and he did have a good answer with good reasons. It showed that he knew my personality and it was unique and creative. But the more I thought about the answer the more I thought that I would not want that power. While it’s true I care for others and want to help them in any way I can, it would be me helping and fixing to my standard.
My standard is not perfect. I would be biased at times. I would be selfish at times. I would not see the bigger picture. God is the only one who can fix us. He sees our potential. He sees our challenges. He can fix us and them.
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God works all things for our good. He knows what we need and what we want. He is a good Father. He gives us what we need. He loves us no matter what.
Now, while we may not be able to fix people there is one power, we do have to help those people: prayer. It’s true that sometimes the answer to our prayer will be no. But God knows our heart. He wants to hear from us. He wants to have a relationship with us. He wants us to communicate with him and to grow in Him. To do that, sometimes the answer is no. Other times the answer is not what you expect. But God, in his infinite knowledge and mercy, chooses to hear you. It’s amazing when you think about it.
So, have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you could fix people? How can you pray for others today? How can you grow in God?
One day I was getting ready to coach a soccer game. I had a lot to carry so I placed my soda in my bag (the soda had a straw and a lid). As I was loading myself up, I realized I forgot to grab something from the back of my car. With my backpack on, I reached for the item. Suddenly I felt a drop on my back. That’s odd, I thought. Maybe the wind just hit me there? I continued reaching for the item. Then my back became soaked.
I jumped away from the car and put my pack on the ground. I realized my mistake in that moment. I forgot about the drink. Much of it had landed in one spot on my jersey. It had saturated it so much that even using towels wasn’t a big help to dry it off. But I did my best to clean it and move on.
After I cleaned myself, and after the game, I thought about what had happened. It only took a bit of liquid to saturate my jersey, enough to leave a spot. What would have happened if I had not caught the drink in time? I could have been one sticky mess. Then I realized how closely connected my experience was to getting in the Word.
When I read the Bible, a little each day, I get drips of knowledge, God’s knowledge. If I only do that occasionally, then I don’t stay wet. I must continually be in the Word to get drips. To stay saturated. Also, the world may try to bring a towel into our lives and try to dry up our relationship with God. That’s why we must know the Word and be in it, to refute the lies of this world. We must be saturated.
So, are you saturated in God’s Word? How can you make a point to be in the Word daily?
This year Camp YoliJwa's theme is Rooted. I taught the young adults at their family camp this week. We discussed what good roots are, bad roots, and the fruits of the spirit. Now, with my husband being a landscaper I thought a lot about what we can learn from plants and there's quite a bit. First, plants need deep roots. The roots give them their nutrients and help them get water from the soil. If a root is bad or isn't in a good spot to do that then it isn't doing what the plant requires of it. The same can be said of us. We are plants that need deep roots in the right places. We need roots in the word. If we don't have that we will not grow properly. Plants also need a balance of space and closeness. If a plant doesn't have plenty of space it will be fighting other plants for nutrients, water, and sun light. If we don't have space to grow, be on our own path, or time away from others our relationship with God may be in jeopardy. We need to focus on our growth in God so that we can help others with their growth. If we are too far or too close to others that can cause problems. Too far and we don't make an impact on others for the good of the kingdom of God. Too close and we miss out on our alone time with God. Or we are fighting for the nutrients and knowledge we need. If we are too close or comparing ourselves to others, we miss out on the path and plan God has for us. And if we don't take time to be in silence with God we miss out on connecting with him and learning from him. A plants job is to produce fruit. Plants try to produce good fruit but that doesn't always happen. We can produce good or bad fruit too. Galatians 5:19-26 talks about the fruits of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit. We are to produce the things of God, or the fruits of the spirit. We are not to produce the fruits of the flesh. The things of the flesh are the things of the world. The things of the world will pass away. Only the fruit of the spirit will last and matter in heaven. Finally, a plant doesn't eat its own fruit. The point of fruit is to spread the plant to other places so others like it can grow. The purpose of our lives is not to glorify ourselves. Rather our purpose is to reflect God's glory. Our purpose is to produce fruit that others see that then get spread to others. It helps others grow in their faith. People look at us and see we are different. The fruit of the spirit that we produce is different from the fruit of the flesh. So, what kind of roots do you have? What fruit are you producing? How can you keep growing in God?
Have you ever asked the question: what is worship? The simplest definition I can think of is, praising God. Then, why do we think of worship time as just singing? Sure, worship can happen through song, but it can also happen elsewhere.
Worship can happen anytime, anywhere. You can worship in silence. You can worship by making sounds or listening to them. You can worship through dance. There are so many more ways as well. If there are so many ways to worship, how do we differentiate between worship and everyday life?
Romans 12:1 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices. When one sacrifices, they worship. We are to show love to others and love requires sacrifice. Thus, we can worship in all we do. We worship by showing love, reflecting God's glory, and we can do it through all actions.
It is also important to note that when we do things each day, we can use them as acts of worship. We must remember who we worship as well. Each selfless act we do, should be pointed back to God in an act of worship. We should not be prideful and accept the credit, we should credit God with our gifts and possessions because he's the one who gave us them.
So, how do you worship God? How can you reflect God's glory each day?
What do you do when the everyday routine becomes mundane?
What do you do when things in your routine are going wrong or become an
inconvenience? One day I was at work, as a teacher with my preschool students,
and just those things were happening.
It was midway through November. This was the time of year
where Halloween, aka candy high hype, has somewhat worn off. The time of year
when kids were talking about Santa and what he was going to get them for
Christmas. When they would forget about Thanksgiving and just keep repeating
what they wanted for Christmas, which was probably annoying me as well because
I tire of people skipping Thanksgiving, but it is hard to commercialize that.
The day began pretty normal. Kids came in and began
playing. I was working on projects with the kids. The trouble began during
circle time. Kids were all up in one another’s grills (touching each other) so
I had to remind them to stay in their bubble. Then they forgot to repeat what I
was telling them to repeat (5 times I tried and failed to get them to repeat
after me). When story time came again, they were in one another’s grills. Center
time came and kids were just not following the rules at centers. I would remind
them nicely and they would not listen. Then a child I had just sent to the
bathroom had an accident five minutes after I sent her to the bathroom. This
event made us get outside late. At lunch the kids were having bad manners, and
a child spilled her whole cup of milk. AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! At that point
though, it was kind of like, fine pile on the crap so I just let it roll off my
back.
Then an aide for one of my students looked at me and
said, “how are you feeling?” I didn’t answer really because I didn’t know how
to answer. Honestly, I was not feeling the greatest. I was quite annoyed and
impatient and tired and slightly overwhelmed. But I also did not want to say
all that in front of the kids and have to get into all that with her. She just
said, “it seems like you are not yourself today.”
Woah lady, who are you to tell me who I am and who I am
not?! Was my initial thought. I could feel the anger boiling up. She was
somewhat right. I was a bit more on edge because of all the little things
piling up. I felt like a mouse we read about in a book that day. The mouse just
kept finding food and piling it up on top of the next piece of food. Well, you
can imagine how that went when the cat caught up with him.
In a way, the aide was kind of like the cat. She was
calling out my bad attitude. I didn’t like it, and everything came crashing
down.
While I disagreed with how she asked and the fact that
she said I didn’t seem like myself because I was doing the normal things I do
every day, I also knew I wasn’t letting my light shine. Matthew 5:16 says, “In
the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your
good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” This not-so-great
day was taking its toll. It was diminishing my light. In a certain way, I felt
justified. How many people have to deal with all those things I was dealing
with daily? Why did all the bad things have to happen at once? I had a right to
be a bit cranky, didn’t I?
Not according to Matthew 5:16. I wasn’t doing a great job
at being set apart. I wasn’t very loving and patient. Now, to a certain extent,
some of the things the students did, did merit consequences. But that doesn’t
mean I had to be cranky as I dished those consequences out. I could have been
more patient and understanding. That doesn’t mean that being those things is
easy. It’s just what we, as Christians, are called to do.
In case you were wondering, to get back on track, I took
my break to listen to a Christian podcast, had some prayer time asking for
forgiveness, and wrote this blog. All those things helped change my attitude.
Amazing what a bit of God time can do, isn’t it?
So, when days like this happen, what is your reaction?
How can you let your light shine daily no matter your circumstances?
Nighttime is a scary time sometimes if you are an overthinker. You know you need rest so you can face the next day, but for some reason your body wakes you up. Doesn't matter whether it's 1 or 4 o'clock, it's not fun. Because you try to get back to sleep but you just toss and turn.
Did I get everything I need to get done for tomorrow?
Why does my knee itch so much? Should I get it checked out?
Is there someone I need to check on who I should be praying for?
I can't believe how good God is that he would allow.... to happen.
That last one seems out of place with the others. But when you have big feelings, excitement is included in that. You can be overwhelmed with thoughts and feelings so much so that your mind won't turn off. It doesn’t matter if those thoughts are what we would consider good or bad.
What do we do then? How do we break the cycle and get the rest we need? I have found that taking time to fix my eyes on God is never a waste of time. This can come in many forms: reading the Bible, reading a book that draws you closer to God, meditating, praying, singing praises to him, writing your thoughts down and combating them with scripture.
See the Devil will do anything he can to pull you away from God. That includes making you think about all the things you must do. That's why we must change our thinking. We must put on the armor of God and break the cycle.
So many verses talk about thinking in the Bible that I would be remiss if I didn't point out more than one.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8
We are to set our minds on the truth. Many times, when we spiral into darkness we focus on dark thoughts. That's why we must think of what is pure, lovely, and true.
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2
We hear this one used a lot but how often do we follow it. The word "transform" connotates change. When we accept Christ as our savior, not only should it change our actions but our thinking as well. In the dark, we should be thinking about the light-the will of God.
'For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:5-6
Worries tend to make us spiral. Even when good things happen, we tend to think about what could go wrong with them. But we must remember that anything we go through on earth is temporary. While here, we are to do our best to reflect God's glory. That means we spread the Gospel and love others, which is setting our mind on the spirit.
While all those things may not be easy, and you may not wish to be thinking about them in the darkness of the night, it is important to remember to take our thoughts captive. When we start to overthink, we have a choice. We can continue to think those thoughts, or we can lean on God and remember his truth. He loves us and is with us no matter what we face.
So, are you thinking of things that are pure and true? How can you transform your mind?
For those of you who don't know, I enjoy Disney movies. I don't know if its the songs, the characters, or the happily ever after but I like them. Maybe it's because I am still somewhat of a kid. Whatever the reason, there is a group of characters that relate to us quite closely in a Disney movie... aliens.
What?! How do humans relate to aliens? Let my clarify which ones I'm talking about. I'm talking about the green aliens from Toy Story 2. Still not seeing the relation? Good, that means you'll learn something new.
First off, we are aliens. This is not our home. We don't belong here. In fact, we are told that if we love the world, the Father is not in us (1 John 2:15-17). Instead, our home comes after we die. Hebrews 13:14 says, "For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come." We are waiting to go to heaven, to go home, to be with our Father.
Second, the aliens in question have a saying, "you have saved our lives. We are eternally grateful." They say it over and over to Mr. Potato Head so much so that he loses patience at times. See, Jesus saved our lives. Because he did that, we should be eternally grateful. We should want others to have that salvation as well. We should show love and serve others just as Jesus did.
So, how do you feel about being an alien? How can you spread the Gospel today so others can be saved by Christ?
Today is a special day in my life. It’s the one many
little girls dream of. I am getting married today. Now, when I was younger, I wasn’t
a girl who pictured her perfect wedding. And, even when I got older, I didn’t
have a crazy vision in mind. But, as time went on, I began to wonder if I ever
would get married. I had never been in a relationship and didn’t have any on
the horizon. But I knew that I felt like it would be nice to have someone to share
life with. So, I tried online dating.
I went on a few dates with people but didn’t feel a love
kind of connection with them. I knew love could grow but I also knew that I didn’t
want to be unequally yoked, whether that be an unbeliever or someone who was on
a different Christian path than me. Then I met Nate.
I will say, it wasn’t love at first sight, and I wasn’t
even sure I believed in that. But when I met him at Coffee Co. he had a large
beard and I never pictured myself with someone who had a beard. But we talked
for three hours about many different things. And not just surface level things
but deep things too, which I enjoy discussing. We decided to continue our friendship.
After about a month of dating, I asked Nate to go for a
walk after our respective Easter celebrations with family. He said yes and we
discussed what our relationship would look like if we were to have one. After
that walk, Nate asked me to be his girlfriend.
Now, I’m not saying everything was easy in our relationship.
But I will say I feel so blessed to have this man in my life. I am so thankful
for him. He is caring and has a servant’s heart. He listens and communicates well.
And it’s a bonus that he and I have similar interests (Lord of the Rings, Star
Wars, Marvel, Soccer, Writing, etc.).
But, on this day, I don’t just want to tell you about my
man. I also want to remember the promises I am making to him and myself. So,
instead of doing a typical blog, this time I just wanted to share a bit of our
story and also share my vows, so I have them in writing in multiple places.
“Though it is hard to wait, I will because patience can
make me great. It may be hard to always be kind and serve, but I will do my
best even if you get on my last nerve. I may want to brag about my man, but I
will try not to be prideful, if I can. To show respect is another thing I vow,
because I was raised right, I know how. Another thing I will do is do my best
to forgive others and you, because that’s what God has called us to do.
Following your lead and helping you grow, that’s what I want to do for the rest
of my life, if you didn’t guess that well now you know. I love you and I’m so
glad I get to spend the rest of my life with you. Oh, and one last thing I love
about you, you are on standby for almost anyone in your life. So now it’s time
for you to, ‘standby to get some.’”
So, how are you showing love to those you love? Have you
made any promises that you need to remember to keep?
Sometimes you are just busy being yourself and being authentic, then something great happens. True, what I am discussing now didn’t necessarily happen by itself, as Nate and I began our relationship on a dating website and chose one another, but the aftermath of this story did. Now, if you are like me, you know that you are not perfect. In fact, there are times when even I would find myself annoying or different. That is why I question how someone would want to be with me with all my downfalls but that’s beside the point.
Nate and I are both good communicators and good at nonverbal communication as well. One day, we were watching Guardians of the Galaxy 3 and he had gotten sour patch kids to share. I didn’t eat too many of them but as the movie went on there ended up being only one left. In my brain I thought, “it would be nice if he would give me the last one” but I wasn’t expecting it. Then, Nate pointed the bag toward me. I smiled and took the last sour patch kid. This began a tradition of offering the last item to one another.
Another time we were sitting on the couch talking and Nate began to get hot. He asked if we could turn the fan on. I did, and as time went on, I became cold. Nate seemed comfortable so I cuddled up to him and left the fan on.
You can see where I am going here. When you love someone, you make sacrifices. Sacrifice means you give up something. You give up time, money, comfort, food, things, etc. so that you can show someone else you care.
Hebrews 13:16 reminds us of this when it says, “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” We are to do good to others. What does “good” mean? Well, you could think of the golden rule. You know, do unto others as you would want them to do to you. Or, you could just say whatever you would feel most loved in, do that.
As you can see, sacrifice doesn’t have to be big. Jesus died for us, and we are to follow his example. That may not mean physically dying. It may mean dying to ourselves. To our needs and wants. That’s sacrifice. Sacrifice in the little things daily and you will be following Jesus’ example and command. So, how will you sacrifice today?
Some of my friends are like Dory. Dory is a fish who has
shirt term memory loss. It is hard for her to remember things that she just
learned. We sometimes are like Dory too. There are things that happen in our lives that cause us
to forget important ideas. We are to have remembrance of these ideals. Remembrance is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary
as: "an act of recalling to mind or a memory of a person, thing, or
event." Though, in times of crisis, it’s not always easy to remember. When problem after problem comes along, we forget. When
the bills are due, but we don't have quite enough to get by, we forget. When
that person who brings us down or rubs us the wrong way does it again, we
forget. We forget that we are loved. We forget that we are a child of God. We
forget that everything on this earth is temporary. We forget to go to Christ
with our problems. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says "For this light momentary
affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all
comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that
are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are
unseen are eternal." Many of the worries we have now are not going to
matter in the long run. The only things that will matter in eternity is knowing
Christ as our savior and how we serve others by bringing them to that same good
news (now that doesn't mean we earn our salvation but I'm saying we are to
spread the good news so others can know Christ as their savior). That is what we forget. We forget that God is with us and
that we will spend eternity with him. That is what we need to remember when
trials come. So, are you remembering what God has done for you? How
can you spread the good news today?
I hope when you read the title, you thought about Admiral Ackbar. He's kind of captain obvious in the situation but there are times that traps come in life that are not so obvious. One of the times traps sneak up on us are when we are tempted. Oh, there are times where it is obvious that temptations are there like when you see the candy in the checkout line. But other times, whether due to fatigue, failure, or frustration, it's harder to say no. Think back to the temptation of Eve. She was innocent and thought the serpent was her friend. She didn't think that anything in God's creation would try to turn her from God. That's when Satan struck. He also used wily ways to try to get her to disobey God. He asked questions. He got her to doubt. He twisted God's words. He made her think she was missing out on some thing. All those strategies got her to walk into the trap. When the trap snapped shut it was too late for her to go back. There is no rewind button in life, as much as we wish there was. Maybe temptation isn't a trap you typically fall into. Another trap Satan likes to use is offense. If he can't get you to sin, he'll get you to be angry. That time someone went back on their word. That time someone falsely accused you. That time someone chose to hurt someone you love so they could get ahead. Oh, yeah, that will get you fired up. It's wrong. There should be justice. You do your best to follow God and people who do wrong reap benefits and good things. Why, God? It's not fair. You want to talk about not fair, look at Joseph's story. He obeyed his father, tried to be kind to his brothers, tried to do what's right, and still was hated by his brothers. He was so hated that his brothers threw him into a pit, he was sold into slavery, became a lowly slave, but rose in the ranks in Potiphar's house, was falsely accused by Potiphar's wife, and was thrown in prison. If anyone had a right to grump and be offended Joseph did. But, if Joseph did that, he wouldn't have been used by God. He chose to trust God. He chose to do the next right thing in each situation. He didn't get offended. If there is one thing in this life that is certain, other than the love of God, it is challenges will come. We will have traps come our way that Satan lays out to try to get us to turn from God. When they come, we have a choice. Will we fall into the trap, or will we turn away from it and follow God? So, what traps have been set for you recently? How can you avoid those traps? https://youtu.be/Cva6WYqEn1g?si=ptzvVbFX2byhGZPr
I was once struggling with a lot of unknowns. I didn’t
know what would happen with my job, my coaching career, my friendships, my
relationship, and many things in my life. I was becoming stressed with all the choices
I had to make. So, one day I took a walk in the snow.
I reflected on a podcast from The Porch I had heard
earlier that week. It was talking about Psalm 23. That Psalm begins with saying
“the Lord is my shepherd.” Now we’ve all pictured this before, at least if you
are a Christian and you’ve heard the Psalm. It’s easy to see Jesus as a
shepherd guiding us. But you know what that makes us? Sheep. And sheep are not
the smartest creatures.
The next verse says, “he makes me lie down in green
pastures.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t really like to be forced to do
anything. But here it says that God makes us lie down. Why would we need to be
made to lie down? Perhaps it’s because God knows the temptation to keep busy is
so strong for some of us. Oh sure, our reasons for trying to busy ourselves are
different but we forget to rest. We forget to rest in God. And he doesn’t just
make us rest in a horrible stinky place. He makes us rest in good places, in
green pastures.
Verse 4 takes a turn. It doesn’t seem like it is
discussing sheep anymore. It talks about a dark valley. That doesn’t seem to
apply to shepherds, but it does. Shepherds would take their sheep to mountains
in the summer months. But to get to the mountains, the shepherd would have to
take the sheep through valleys. There are many dangers in the valleys and
shadows can become dangerous things in an instant. Yet, the good shepherd is
there to protect his sheep. His rod and his staff protect and comfort us through
that protection.
As I was putting all this together, a thought hit me. Was
I insisting on staying in the valley? Was I fighting my shepherd trying to stay
in my comfort zone? Things were not going well at my job, but it was
comfortable knowing what I was doing each day. But was I forsaking the good of
the mountain that God was taking me to by choosing to stay in the valley?
I don’t know the answers to those questions yet, but it
was a good start. And I felt peace for the first time in a while.
So, do you trust the good shepherd? How can you trust God
as he leads you through valleys to the mountains?
There are many times of the year where you enjoy
decorating. During Christmas, during the Fourth of July, for spring, for fall,
sometimes for Halloween, for almost any party, etc. People will decorate their
homes, offices, cars, and much more to get the ambience just right for the
celebration. It kind of puts you in a festive mood. It builds anticipation.
Well, while all those decorations and the places you put
them are fun, I’m willing to bet you probably have never thought of decorating
one place: a jail cell. Woah! We just went from fun and fancy to dark and
dreary. Why would I even bring up decorating a place like that? Isn’t that
where criminals go?
Now I don’t know if criminals do decorate their cells for
real or not. But I’m talking about how some of us have a spiritual jail cell. Some
of us choose to continue to live in sin. We all face temptations. Some of us
choose to give in to those temptations. We choose to enter the cell of sin. I
don’t know what temptations you have faced. I don’t know if you gave into them
or not. What I do know is if we begin decorating our sin cell, we are in bad
shape.
See, usually, if someone is decorating a place, they are
claiming ownership of it. They are planning on staying there for some time. Thus,
they want it to be nice, homey, and a place they and others will feel
comfortable in. Why in the world would we want to feel comfortable in sin? I
realize that it may feel good for a bit but that source of dopamine, whatever
it is, will wear off. And you will be back looking for your next fix sooner
rather than later.
People who are decorating their cells have admitted
defeat. But you don’t have to. You can give up that sin. You can leave and
decorate the home God has given you. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation
has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not
let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also
provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” Even if you have
given into temptation. Even if you feel like there’s no hope, there is! God
provided us with a way of escape. He sent his Son to die for us, to be the
perfect sacrifice, so we could have a way of escape. It’s our choice whether we
stay in the cell or not.
So, are you in a cell decorating away right now? How can
you escape the cell if you are in one? How can you refuse to enter the cell
when it is presented to you?
You know, our bodies are amazing things. One of the most
fascinating parts of our bodies is our brain. Scientists are still trying to
figure out our brains. One area they just cannot seem to figure out is our
thoughts. Sure, you can see reactions in the brain when we have a thought, but
you cannot know exactly what that thought is. I think that’s one reason why
thoughts are so powerful, only you can control them and only you know what your
thoughts are.
Whatever thoughts you think about, I am fairly certain
that you sometimes have trouble controlling your thoughts. How do we do that?
Can we do that? It seems even if you have the best intentions and wish you
could stop thinking negative things, they just come back up. I have found that
thoughts can be fit into a few categories.
Surface level immediate thoughts: things you think about
that don’t have much meaning. I mean, while I believe the thought, “I would
really like a chocolate milkshake” is an incredible thought it doesn’t serve
much in the long run (other than maybe getting a milkshake).
Surface level future thoughts: this is when you think
about things you need to do. Like get groceries or get some things done for
that project at work.
Intelligent intellectual thoughts: this is my way of
saying deep thinking. Most of the time, I feel, our brains don’t go into deep
thinking unless we are in school, in a thought-provoking conversation, reading
a book, etc. (could even borderline throw overthinking in here). An important
note, this type of thinking can be considered both good and bad depending on
what you are thinking about.
Negative woe is me thoughts: when it is a rainy day and
all thoughts you have are just bad. Like, can things get much worse thoughts?
Not very healthy thoughts.
Godly grateful thoughts: Not that things are always going
to be amazing in our lives but there is always something to be grateful for.
While there may be some other areas of thought, many of
them could probably fit into these categories. Looking at these categories, ask
yourself which ones tend to go through your brain the most? I’m not saying that
there is any wrong category to be in the most. It’s okay if you have all these
kinds of thoughts. But I’m saying you should not be stuck in just one of these
areas of thought. Well, not stuck in all but one.
Godly grateful thoughts should be where we land most of
the time. It would be amazing if we were stuck (not in a bad way) in that area
of thought. But I’m thinking that much of the time that’s not where your
thoughts land. I’m the same way. How then do we change our thinking so we can
have more Godly grateful thoughts?
First off, I want to remind you that it is possible to
change our way of thinking lest you be tempted to say, it’s impossible (which
you should not say as nothing is impossible with God). 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the
contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 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.” See, Satan has this
horrid habit of trying to get into our brains. He likes to tell us lies. He
likes to deceive. He likes to detain us. I think that’s why Paul told the
Corinthians that they can take their thoughts captive. We have the power,
through Christ, to tell Satan to get out!
Now how do we change our thinking? We think about
“whatever.” What do you mean “whatever?!” I already think about whatever I want
daily and that hasn’t helped me! I mean we think of the whatever verse.
Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be
any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” These are the
things our thoughts should be focused on. Focused on Christ-like thoughts.
Focused on His word so we can refute the lies of the liar. Focused on the truth
about how God feels about us. Focused on reflecting God’s glory in all we
think, say, and do. Because, while we may not be able to see and know your
thoughts, there is someone who does.
So, do you have a problem with thinking too many surface
level or negative thoughts? What will you do to change your way of thinking? I
encourage you to make an action plan today to help you change your way of
thinking.
Have you ever thought about how much you reflect on
things? Some reflection can be good. It’s not too bad to look back at where you
were to see how far you have come. It’s not bad to look back and see if there
is anything you can change to reflect God’s glory more. But looking back and
dwelling on it about how good it was or how bad it was, can be a problem.
Have you ever thought about how much you think about the
future? Some thinking and preparing for the future can be good. It’s not bad to
study for a test. It’s not bad to be prepared for a project or for the next
day. It’s not bad to think about where God is taking your life. But worrying
about the future or overthinking it can be a problem.
Yes, thinking about the past or the future can be
dangerous if one dwells on it for too long. Instead, it is best if we focus on
the here and now. How can we do that, though? It’s so hard to not look back
with longing at good times and contempt at bad ones. It’s so hard to not think
about the future. It’s hard to not wish for different times.
The answer? We trust in God. Psalm 9:10 says, “And those
who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken
those who seek you.” God doesn’t leave us, ever. He’s always with us. He cares
for us and loves us. He wants us to grow in him, to reflect on how far we’ve
come, and to be prepared for the future. But if that’s all we focus on we are
missing the point of life. Now is the present. It is a present. It’s where we
can wake up each new day and say, “I’m going to do my best to reflect God’s
glory today.” It’s saying, “I trust you God, even if I can’t see the future,
even if I’m longing for a past time.”
So, are you dwelling too much on the past or on the
future? How can you trust in God and his plan?
Have you ever thought about how Jesus came to earth? It
was in a very unexpected way. Most people assumed the Messiah would come like a
powerful king or a mighty military man. But that’s not what happened. And, when
you think about it, Jesus came in a way that wasn’t easy.
Wouldn’t it have been a lot easier to come in the way
people expected him to come? To swoop down like a hero, wipe out the enemies of
Israel, and rule? But if he did that, he would not be true to one of his characteristics.
He came down as a baby, as a human, to show his love for us. He chose the hard
path.
Why do I say that? He could’ve taken the easy path and showed
his power to all. He could have taken the easy path and just destroyed all of
us when we sinned. He could have taken the easy path and just chose to ignore
us because we chose to disobey him. But he chose to become one of us so he
could know what it was like to be one of us.
He chose the hard path of growing up, hitting puberty, learning
a trade, facing temptations, and having hard emotions. He chose the hard path
of not truly revealing who he was till he was 30. He chose the hard path of
explaining hard topics to others, he went against the religious leaders of that
day, and walking away from his family to show love to all. He chose the hard
path of submitting to the Father, being falsely accused, being beaten, and
dying on a cross for all our sins.
Yes friends, Easter was far from easy. But, because Jesus
chose the hard path, he made a way for us. Jesus took the hard part from us. He
took our sins and became the perfect sacrifice for us. Then he made it easy for
us to choose him. We just need to accept him as our savior, believe he is God,
and confess our sins to him. Now, that’s not to say our life suddenly gets
easier. But we do get to walk through life with the one who loves us. With the
one who knows our pain. With the one who loved us enough to die for us.
So, have you thanked God lately for what he has done for
you? When life gets hard, how can you remember to lean on God?
Have you ever thought about the gifts that God has given you? Everything you have from where you live to your talents was given to you by God. God is such a good father that he gives us these things. We have a choice in what we do with these things. We can choose to use them for ourselves or for God.
We can choose to use our humor to be vulgar and crass, or we can make others laugh and share the gospel (God created laughter and has a sense of humor, look at the platypus). We can choose to use the car we have to transport only ourselves, or we can serve others by giving them a ride if they need it. We can use our gift of cooking to exalt ourselves and flaunt our talent, or we can make food for others less fortunate than us. We can use our bodies to be provocative and serve our desires, or we can glorify God with them by using them to serve others.
1 Peter 4:10 says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." He says WHATEVER gift. That doesn't just mean we use what we have as extra. It means we sacrifice. We show the love of Christ who gave the greatest gift through his sacrifice by sacrificing as well. We take action to praise God for what he's given us and not ourselves. We take pride in who our God is by pointing to him through our actions.
So, who are you exalting? Are you showing God's love daily by using the gifts he's given you to reflect his glory?
Have you ever looked through a camera, window, telescope, glasses, or binoculars and the view wasn't what you were expecting? Maybe it was dirty, foggy, or maybe you couldn't see at all. You think it would be better if you just didn't use the thing that was supposed to help you see better or capture that memory. Well, unfortunately, some people's views of the world is distorted anyhow even without using that dirty enhancer.
PEACE
The world's definition: calm, quiet, no war, no arguing, etc.
God's definition: John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Peace isn't no war or problems. Peace is being in the middle of those problems, battles, storms, etc. And knowing you will be okay. You are okay because God is with you in those problems. He's already won the war so what can those problems do to you?
HAPPINESS
The world's definition: anything that gives you pleasure. (Food, sex, drugs, movies, etc.)
God's definition: James 1:2-4 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Joy, or happiness, isn't found in the things of this world. We can try to fill the hole in our hearts with the things of this world, but they only bring temporary happiness. True joy is found in God. When we choose him and follow him, we will still have problems, but we will know that our joy doesn't need to change because God is with us.
SUCCESS
The world's definition: having lots of money, cars, a big house, a high paying job, lots of material things, being famous/popular, knowing you are the GOAT, etc.
God's definition: Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
What is the point of being successful according to the world? The point is that you have a good job, a lot of money, you have things that are thought of as bringing happiness. It is thought to bring you comfort. That definition of success brings happiness for a time. But not eternal joy. The point of us being on earth is for us to know Christ, to show his love to others, and to lead others to him. All of which, is reflecting his glory. That's not saying that if we lead someone to Christ, we should have pride and think we are the best. No! Rather, we should rejoice that another soul was saved. Another person was brought into the kingdom.
LOVE
The world's definition: something that gives you butterflies. When that feeling of butterflies leaves, you fall out of love. Something that can be used to make you have happiness, success, or peace.
God's definition: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
Love isn't a tool to be used to get what you want. Love isn't just a feeling. Love is action. Love is respect. Love is sacrifice. It takes sacrifice to do all these things in 1 Corinthians 13. We sacrifice time when we are patient. We sacrifice our needs/desires when we don't envy, don't boast, and are not proud. We sacrifice our feelings/rights when we hold back anger and forgive when we are wronged. God is love. And we are to follow Jesus' example and love God and others.
So, is your view distorted of any of these things? How can you remember the true definitions of these things and put them into action?
