Tag: #perseverance

Have you ever been so hungry that you would eat almost anything that was placed in front of you? Throw all diets and checking for nutrients out the window, you needed to appease the hunger pains and accept the consequences that come with it later. When we are desperate enough to accept anything – the first thing that is offered to us that sounds appetizing is almost immediately consumed.

When we are hungry for truth and begin to search for something to fill our needs, we must limit our diet to God’s word first, then as other dishes are presented, we have a filter to check the nutrients before we consume just anything that looks or sounds good to our famished flesh.

All false teachings sprinkle enough seasonings to make it appealing to our appetites and tantalizing to our taste buds. It is not until we begin to digest it that we realize how detrimental it is for our mind, body, and soul. Sadly, we may not see how bad it really is for us until much later. We can invite the Holy Spirit into our reading and decision making when looking for truth and allow Him to guide our choices and make sure we are testing the spirits to discern and filter out the toxins before we digest them.

What we believe matters because it drives our actions and dictates how we see and treat the world around us. Our whole value system is aligned with our beliefs and therefore are vital to our well-being. If we are grounded in the foundation of God’s word our mind, bodies, and soul will benefit. James 1:22-24 points out that it is not enough just to hear and believe, but we must be doers also. If we are called to be doers of what we believe then what we believe matters and should align with God’s Word.

“But I say to you, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16 ESV

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” I John 4:1

I don’t run because it is easy. Some days it’s the farthest thing from it. I do it because it is worth it. The benefits far outweigh the difficulty, every time. Our obedience to God is the same way. The benefits are eternal; no matter how difficult it is for us, it’s worth it.

Believers in Christ are not immune to heartache, sickness, or loss. This is a broken world because of sin, and everyone is subject to it. But we do have a guarantee that our salvation is secure through Jesus for eternity and that gives us the hope to remain steadfast while we await his rescue from this world.

We do however have a job to do while we wait, and it is sometimes difficult to find the courage and the words. That is to share the gospel so others will hear the good news and, also accept Jesus Christ as their Savior so they can be with us in the Kingdom of God. Whether it be fear of rejection or the risk of being different, we can let it get the best of us and do not do what we are called to do; be bold and share the Great Commission (Mark 16:15). Jesus told his disciples not to worry about what to say, because the Holy Spirit would give them the words (Matthew 10:19-20). The same is true for us today. It is not our job to fix or change anyone. It is our job to love them where they are, just like Jesus does for us, and let our lives and actions point them to Christ, looking to God’s word for truth. If we are faithful to share what God puts on our hearts, and intentional about how we love and serve others, the Holy Spirit will give us the words when we need them. 

I am beginning to see that the ramifications of not sharing the gospel with others is far more detrimental to us and them than if we risked it and went for it, no matter what others think. It is God whom we need to fear, not man. In Matthew 10:33, Jesus goes on to say, “whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” Clearly, that is not something anybody wants when that day comes.

When things are out of my comfort zone, it is my nature to want to avoid them. But when God calls me smack into the middle of it, I know I need to say yes. When I realize it is not about me and go where God sends me, it changes me. There is great spiritual growth, and I gain a new perspective. Not only that but it puts me squarely where God wants me- in total dependence on Him and others will not see me, but they will see the image of God reflected in me, which is my goal in this life.

I find myself at a loss of understanding for why ‘they’ stopped teaching cursive writing in school. Not only do we have a generation that cannot write in cursive, but guess what? They cannot read it either. I realized this recently when my 12-year-old mentee received a lovely note from a lady at church, and when he opened it, he told me that he could not read cursive. I gasped out loud and after I picked my chin off the floor, asked why, thinking silently ‘oh my goodness he is that far behind and is going in the sixth grade this year’! His answer is what floored me and made me think about this issue. He said, when he was in second grade, they stopped teaching it. Wow. I wonder if ‘they’ thought of the consequences before making such a rash decision? Who decided for the world that this would stop anyway? How else are we going to recognize who has doctor  potential?! (Insert cheesy grin)

I remember not particularly liking my signature or the way I wrote certain letters for most of my youth, so I decided to work on the skill to improve it. I spent a lot of time practicing achieving a standard I considered acceptable. I still write a lot of handwritten notes personally and professionally and I know some others who do too. But this is another thing that is fading away as technology overshadows it. I still enjoy sending (and receiving) them. Am I the only person who sees this as a problem or at the very least a sad reality that our up-and-coming kids will not be able to write a nice, cursive letter to anyone much less read one they receive from our generation? I will be very careful as I step down from my soap box as to not stumble. But I thought this was worth sharing with you.

This reminded me of the letters in the Bible. 21 out of the 27 books in the New Testament are in the form of letters. Thirteen of them were written by Apostle Paul, (called the Pauline letters), for a specific purpose and were read aloud to the congregations he sent them to. Although he used an assistant whom he dictated some of his letters, he did however, write a portion of them in his own hand. The NT letters were generally divided into three parts: the address (which consisted of the identification of the person writing the letter and who it was to, an opening greeting, and prayer), the body (held different elements depending on the purpose), and the conclusion (final blessings and greetings to specific acquaintances).[1] Consider the time, effort, and thoughtfulness that went into each heartfelt, Spirit-lead, letter. Once it was finished it had to be hand delivered to its recipients. What an intriguing artistry to appreciate as we re-read each one and consider what was involved in its development. With mailboxes at our front doors, pen, and paper at our disposal, we surely take for granted and do not appreciate the magnificent design and gift we have at our fingertips.

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[1]  Brand, Chad, et.al., eds., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, B & H Publishing. Nashville, TN, 2015.

Have you ever thought about how long it takes to form sea glass? I bet it is a long time. Maybe several decades. The salt water adds to the beauty giving it a frosted appearance. A lot of people hunt it and use it for making jewelry and other unique pieces of art. But it did not start out this way. It was not instantly a finished work of art or even very pretty. It more than likely started out as a jagged piece of broken glass from a beverage bottle. You could say it was just a piece of garbage. It was rough around the edges and painful if you cut yourself on it.

Isn’t that how we start out? Our hearts are rough around the edges, and we cause others pain if they get too close. We could say we are sometimes discarded by others as trash and end up in a sea of troubled waters. Then God lifts us out of the murky waters, just as we are. He begins to shape us and smooth out our rough edges. But just like sea glass, it takes time. It is a work in progress; we are God’s masterpiece. He created us in His own image and although we are not perfect because of sin – He wants us to strive to be more like Jesus, not in our performance but in the way we love, treat, and serve others. Our lives are like shards of brokenness awaiting transformation that is only accessible through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:16 ESV)

I was sitting in my car at the traffic light this week waiting for it to turn green when my gaze drifted to the cars passing by in front of me. I attempted to read the sign on each truck that sped by and see each person driving them. It was chaotic and hard to keep up, until I diverted my eyes back to the light realizing I needed to be ready to move when it turned green so I would not get honked at if I hesitated even a second (it happens).

When my focus was on the right place, I did not feel overwhelmed by the distractions around me. The same is true, as we go through our day, when we have our eyes on everything going on around us, it can be confusing, busy, and distracting. But when we remember to look up and keep our gaze on God we can be ready to move when He gives the signal. I need to remind myself of this when the things around me seem chaotic or I get too busy; I need to remember to pause and turn my eyes back to the ultimate ‘light’, which is Jesus.

It makes it easier to drown out the noise around us so we can hear God’s voice and discern the direction he wants us to go when we are in His word daily, praying for discernment, and keeping in step with the Spirit.

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2, ESV).

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

With the Father by His side, the Groom awaits His bride

He walked the earth to be by her side

He searched the fields for the perfect bouquet

Everlasting love in a fragrant sachet

Mere words fall short and express only in part

The beauty He sees within her heart

A magnificent love story waiting to be told

As their paths cross the journey unfolds

Grace and honor hold hands, their fingers intertwine

In the unity of truth, His glory divine

Made for this moment, their hands finally meet

Their purpose intact, the puzzle complete

A picture of hope for a new life

They come together as husband and wife

Respect, honor, and peace shine through in love

Their Father looks down from Heaven above

A past forgiven, new hope springs forth

A memory shared, their hearts rejoice

All creatures great and small circle around

To witness the union in reverent awe

Baby’s breath, so tiny and sweet

A reflection of purity, His purpose complete

For this moment He died upon the cross

With a loving heart, He bore the loss

To save His bride and live a life

As God intended with the bride of Christ

The kingdom of God awaits us all

An inheritance of joy when we heed the call

Have faith and trust in a mighty God

Who loves us fiercely and forgives our flaws

A servant’s heart He asks of us

We fall on our knees, lift our eyes in trust