Our Weakness

We all have a weakness. Satan knows them, too, and he is patient and persistent to start the groundwork for temptations that appear and feel good.  We discover they cover a barbed hook that gets lodged in our flesh. The only way the hook loosens is through the power of Jesus Christ. 

We, too, must be persistent and constantly pursue a personal relationship with Christ through prayer, praise, music, and studying his word.  Joyce Meyer says, “Our battlefield is in the mind,” and I find that to be true. The creator of the universe has given us the weapons to fight our spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:10-18.

No matter how long we have known God, we all have a weakness Satan relentlessly pursues. His whole purpose is to get us to doubt God, turn away from Him, and live in our flesh. This process happens little by little until one day we wake up to find ourselves encased in arrogance or self destructive behavior (this is pride either way).  We are empty inside, alone, bitter, addicted, and caught in an ever spinning wheel of sin, shame, regret, and trying to escape by our own power.

The only way to freedom, the only way to fight the war, is through Christ. We do not have the power or wisdom to wage the war between our flesh and spirit on our own. It’s like taking a knife to a machine gun fight. It breaks my heart to see people, especially famous people, being deceived by Satan to believe the drugs or other forms of escape they are offered will help them. I know from experience when you look only to yourself and have no one to help ground you to Christ and His example, you are walking into battle naked and unaware. Cling to Christ, your rock, savior, and defender. He is the only way truth and life. 

 ¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
   where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD,
   the Maker of heaven and earth.

 ³ He will not let your foot slip—
   he who watches over you will not slumber;  Psalm 121:1-3 NIV

                   *      *      *

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
   he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
   Run to God! Run from evil! Proverbs 3:5-7 MSG

Who is your wisdom and strength in your battles of the flesh?

Journey

It’s a great feeling to climb to the top of a mountain and see the amazing view. Many times in my life I have experienced the same elation and freedom after Jesus has helped me pass through a storm in life. It may last a few minutes, weeks, or even a season. But, the reality of living on this earth keeps reminding me that this is not our home. We will never live in pure jubilation until we are in heaven with Jesus. I’m so grateful earth is not as good as it gets. 

Now I view my life as a journey with a specific path for me. To reach my full potential and complete the part God has designed for me to play, I must be diligent to keep moving forward. I realize this means I will be on the mountain tops but I will also be in the valleys, deserts, plains, and bogs. My journey is not about my comfort and happiness. It’s about showing others the love of Jesus through my service, words, and attitude.

In my early Christian state, I thought that because I was a child of God I would have an easier life. This thought was prideful and rang with a sense of entitlement. Who am I to think I will avoid temptation, trials, and pain when the savior of the world didn’t? 

As my relationship grew with Christ and I discovered who I am in Christ, I realize God can only work through me when I am willing to love and serve others no matter how I feel. When Christ works through me I learn to care, listen, and serve others without benefit to me. 

I have determined in my spirit not to let fear or the pain of the past keep me from experiencing walking on the water, parting my seas, or witnessing God’s miracles. I will persistently pursue the commands, precepts, but most of all the character of God Jesus himself modeled for us. I will not back down and shrivel up only to look back on my life with regret and disappointment. I will finish my race well and then I will enjoy eternal ecstasy with God in heaven.

How do you see your life’s journey?

New Buds

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

A soft breeze caressed my face on my beautiful sunny afternoon walk. The kiss of the sun on my stale winter face infused my flesh with warmth and promise. Right about now the winter starts to feel like a cage, and yet there is faith and anticipation for the coming spring and newness of life waiting around the bend. 

I noticed the trees shared my faith and anticipation with the formation of the first signs of their buds. They have their hard protective casing intact, but I can see the new life that is to come. I, too, feel new life in the living God who dwells in my heart. His promises are ever new and His word is life giving. 

I asked God to help me see this new promise everyday and never lose sight of the new buds He’s continually forming in my life. I pray God will let your heart and soul feel and see the newness He’s creating in you too.

Take heart for this weather season or spiritual season of cold and dark will pass. Let not your heart be troubled. God is going before you. He will never leave or forsake you, do not be afraid or discouraged sons and daughters of God.

What are some of the new buds forming in your life?

The Poison

Unforgiveness is the poison you drink every day
hoping that the other person will die.
~ Debbie Ford ~

I saw a man stub his toe on a chair. He proceeded to yell before he became enraged and went back to teach the chair a lesson. He learned the lesson, the chair didn’t feel a thing, and he looked like a fool.

I laughed for a moment before I saw a parallel in my spirit. The chairs we stub our toes on in life can be people, circumstances, or situations that we come across or that get thrown in our path. Our pain can be a surprise and we are left with the choice to react or to act. 

The choice to react is driven out of emotional hurt and anger. We don’t stop long enough to ask or to evaluate the truth from emotions. Our focus is to go back to the chair (person) to inflict equal pain and vengeance. We think we will feel better when we hurt them back, but we all know from experience this doesn’t work. The chair (people) may not even be aware of the pain they caused, but we react anyway.

Our reaction can also be to shut down and stuff the hurt until it festers like an infected wound. It becomes sore, red hot, and full of puss, just waiting to burst. One sore leads to many and join into a cancer of unforgiveness and bitterness that left untreated destroys us from the inside out. 

The choice to act gives us a moment to disconnect from our emotions and look at the painful experience. We have time to evaluate and ask questions before we decide if or how to stop our pain. We can decide if we are going to act negatively in our flesh or look at the person through the eyes of God and forgive them.

The most important reality about forgiveness for me, a believer and disciple of Christ, is found in Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” 

Without forgiving others in my heart or releasing and laying my hurt and anger toward another person at the cross, I’m cutting myself away from the forgiveness of God. This is not easy in many circumstances, and it has taken me years to completely forgive people, but God helped me as I trusted in Him. Forgiveness is not for them; it is for your freedom. It doesn’t mean you will forget what happened or that you need to continue an unhealthy relationship with that person. It means you are not bound to them through focusing on the pain they inflicted any longer. You are free. Forgiveness means to “let go” or “to put away.” Most importantly, it is showing our obedience to God and trusting in Him to heal our hurts and the person who made it. 

In the end you must always count the cost. Is holding on to anger, bitterness, and revenge toward another person worth poisoning your heart?

Life Word Theme

A New Year always bursts with resolutions. People make promises and vows they will or will not do. What makes a person carry through or abandon their goals? Is there a different way to set goals for change and growth?

In my life change became growth when I surrendered my heart to God first and allowed His love, grace, and mercy to transform me from the inside out. God molded me over the years through prayer, worship music, and His Word. God is my wisdom and strength, but I have to go through the motions. It’s like having all the ingredients sitting on the counter to whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies and yet being unwilling to do the work. Through a constant personal relationship with Christ and pressing on, my internal evolution brings external improvements in my thoughts, actions, and character. 

I confess I’ve made resolutions in the past years only to abandon them, so this year I decided I would pray about one word to live my life by for the whole year to promote new growth. I will focus on my heart motive and attitude rather than a specific action. This year my word is “determined” and my sentence is “I am determined to shine bright for Christ.” My word will act as a compass in my thoughts, words, and deeds. I pray I never stop growing or striving to change to be an excellent daughter of God.

Hebrews 12:1, 2

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

I challenge you to find a word for your life this year and put it into a sentence by which you can measure your thoughts, words, and deeds to help you grow. Embrace your opportunity to wake up and start anew.  

The Invisible Gift

Gifts come in all shapes, sizes, and substance.

This year for Christmas our family agreed not to exchange presents. Instead, we chose to help serve dinner at the Open Door Mission, count our blessings, and share our time with one another. We avoided the hustle and bustle of running to and fro like reindeer with five shots of coffee. In many ways it was peaceful; in others my heart struggled with wanting to give something tangible to those closest to me.

I thought about Jesus and how He is no longer in a material form, yet He’s alive in me. When I close my eyes and think of how much I am loved unconditionally, forgiven, and redeemed through Gods grace and mercy, I’m left breathless. It has taken me years to realize, accept, and live in God’s ultimate love. The only time I’ve ever been able to conceptualize God’s continual transference of love to us has been when I held my two sons for the first time and gave them all of my love. God assured me He feels the same way about me when I let Him hold me, because He sent His only son, Jesus, to die for me.

God showed His unconditional love, grace, and mercy for us through Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer. God’s love is given freely without an ulterior motive or an expected return. The essence of love can’t be held in our hands; it’s exchanged and felt in our hearts. It is the greatest invisible gift of all. This Christmas, my special gifts came in the form of the flesh and blood of my boys and the invisible love in their hearts. What a blessed Savior we serve!

Did you receive a special gift?

Part is Not All

When God sent Jesus to earth He held nothing back. When we say, “God I love you,” do we hold anything back?

As we think of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, sit back and listen to this song by Matt Hammitt, All of Me.         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50ygAc2qP5A

God can heal your broken and fractured heart when you give it all to Him. Jesus came that we may have life, and have it to the full so that one day we will live with Him in heaven for eternity. Praise the Holy One!

Have a blessed Christmas day!