Category: Uncategorized (Page 4 of 6)

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone out there who is a mom, has a mom, acts as a mom-figure to someone, will be a mom, or is trying to become a mom.  

Holidays are always filled with a variety of emotions and Mother’s Day is no exception. If you’ve lost your mom recently, or your family is not speaking or getting along, if you are trying to become a mom, if you are having problems with one of your kids…this day can be challenging.

Motherhood is  blessed with and fraught with many emotions…love, intense love, fear, joy, worry, hope, sadness, contentment, happiness, pride, protective instinct, letting them go, watching them leave, regret, resignation,  peace,  celebration….every emotion known to mankind seems to be felt about and towards our kids at some point on the journey. It can be a rough ride at times and by no means is it anything like the pampers commercials! (But boy, I do tear up when I see one.)

The Army used to have a saying “it’s the hardest job you’ll ever love”  well, I think that applies as much to motherhood as to the military. Think about it, there are a lot of similarities:  It’s a battle at times, you can prep and prep and prep, but you’ll never be ready for the real deal til it happens…you get a kind of tunnel vision and  a certain focused mindset and it’s as though the outside world doesn’t exist while you’re in the thick of it (anyone else out there humming the Sesame Street song at the grocery store? Or getting more involved in the plot of the latest Paw Patrol episode than the kids are? Yup, been there.)  

Also, like the military, it takes a unified team to get the task completed. (Yes, Dad’s participation is necessary for the best outcome!) Then, of course, victory comes when you see the target marching away…to college.  Just kidding… I think.

If you are going through a difficulty right now, concerning motherhood, if the little ones are driving you crazy, if you have a serious health concern about one of your kids, if you and your mom aren’t getting along, if you are trying to become a mom, or if a child has left this earth too soon…there is not much anyone can say to offer comfort except maybe this:  God is always with you. God is there, in the middle of your mess, in the middle of your hardship, in the middle of your weakness and grief. He’s always with you. He just is. Just wrap your mind around that.

I will never leave you nor forsake you. Heb 13:5

Sometimes it seems to make no sense to struggle on your own, nothing’s working and you fight, and you try and try and try…but when you realize you are not doing it alone, and if you can give up the fight, and surrender it all up to God…?   Well, that can be the sweetest sense of relief you will ever know.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5

God Bless you all on this special day. I hope you have a peace-filled, joy-filled day with your loved ones.

A side note:

One of my favorite parts of Mother’s Day when the kids were little was (sorry kids!) the day before Mother’s Day when Dad would take them out shopping for me. It meant Two  Blissful Hours of peace  and solitude. A cup of coffee and a pointless novel or magazine. An undisturbed phone call to a friend, a bubble bath without interruption… a nap even! Ahh, the good old days.

So, Dads, Are You Listening!?  If you haven’t done it this year, make a note for next year. Sometimes the greatest gift for Mother’s Day is a little respite from motherhood. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, and a two hour break is sometimes all we need. It makes everything about being a Mom a little bit sweeter when the little ones come bursting through the door.

I don’t know about you, but I have the absolute best thoughts when I am nowhere near a pencil and paper or a computer. Driving and showering seem to be when God manages to get through the tangle of crazy  in my head.  So I was just in the shower and going down a bad path in my mind, thinking some negative thoughts and getting stuck there, when it occurred to me to involve God in it and pray.

And what came to me was… Lord I am in your presence right now and my thoughts are not honoring to you. Help me to realize that I’m always in your presence and to draw near to you and to feel closer to you, I need to be aware of that. I want my thoughts always to be honoring you, Lord.

Sometimes, I forget that I have control over my own thoughts, on what I choose to focus on.   Joyce Meyer likes to say ‘you don’t have to think every thought that falls into your head! If it’s negative, don’t dwell on it, replace it with one of God’s promises…’

Recognizing the presence of the Lord is so  important and foundational. This is what helps us to commune with God, get closer to him, and ultimately to allow the fruits of the Spirit to be expressed in us, tangibly and physically.

There When You Need Him, There When You (think you) Don’t

As a Christian, the only way to deny that I am always in your presence, is to deny that you exist. If we claim Christianity as our identity, even just believing in the basics, we really must acknowledge that we are always in his presence… You’re not just some distant God looking down on us, judging us, raining down your wrath on us. You are a loving caring God  who stands beside us every moment of every day…

God is not just in church, he’s not present just when we are reading our Bible, or praying to him or thinking about him. He doesn’t need us to be wearing or displaying a cross, or singing worship songs to be present…that’s all just as a reminder for us. He is omnipresent.

Whether we like it or not. Whether we know it or not. Whether we believe it or not. There. You. Are. Waiting for us to unload our burdens onto you…to lean on you…to confide in you…to trust you.

And once that sinks in, there aren’t really that many options on how to respond. Unless you push the belief away, unless you deny it and resist it, you just begin to feel compelled to take notice. To acknowledge his presence and not find judgement, criticism, or punishment. But to find forgiveness, comfort, guidance, love and peace in His presence. The realization is overwhelming. It just makes you want to do better.

At times my prayers are filled with worry and desperation, a yearning to know why this or why that,…this anxious, unsettled feeling that I don’t know what’s next,  this… clamoring almost. I pray this way sometimes for situations that seem so out of control; for myself, my loved ones, societal and even global issues. But I want to come to God in a peaceful and  relaxed, soft, gentle way. With quiet assurance. You know, the way nuns pray.

I guess maybe when I can’t pray with peace, I need to think of coming to him for peace. I need to think of coming to God with my anxiety and trading it in for his peace.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Mt 11:28

Trust Fail?

I want to be able to come to God and rest in his presence. But what would that take? Well… trust, for sure. But how do we trust? Why is it I can trust God for certain things but not others?

How do we trust God for things when maybe deep down we have doubt? I think there’s a difference between saying or  praying ‘I trust you God’ and actually believing it, actually trusting, deep down. I’m not sure we really have control over it. You can’t force yourself to believe something just by saying the words. And I don’t think you can force yourself to trust someone just by saying it either.

For example, do you know the “Trust Fall” that people do? It’s used for team building to help a group of people get to know each other and work better together. It goes like this; you stand up, close your eyes, and  fall backwards into someone’s arms and you just trust that they will catch you.

So if you’re doing a Trust Fall and it’s your best friend catching you, no problem. You have faith in that person and you do trust them. But if it’s a co-worker or a casual friend, you can tell yourself to trust them but maybe  you don’t have faith in them, because you don’t have a history with them. So there’s really no basis for the trust.

Trust develops through familiarity and interaction with someone. That’s how you build trust, by repeatedly seeing someone come through for you. Think about it. When you have a history with someone, you know whether you can trust them or not. I think maybe trusting God is not so different.  

Sometimes I struggle in obedience to God. But maybe I’ve missed a crucial step. I think it’s hard to obey or submit to God’s (or anyone’s) authority if you don’t trust them first. And I realized maybe  trust in God can waver. So why is that? Maybe it has to do with our belief, which also can waver.

I do believe Lord, help my unbelief. Mk 9:24

Who Can You Trust?

But imagine if someone you barely knew did one overwhelmingly, selfless, trustworthy thing for you. Like, say, risked their own safety to push you out of the way of a moving vehicle…or jumped in a pool to save your drowning child…or donated a kidney to your dying spouse…

Would you need a  lot of time and repeated situations to have trust in them? I think we’d be  likely to grant them our trust pretty quickly.

How do we decide to trust? How does someone earn our trust? Usually over time, they kind of  prove themselves to us; they honor their word, they stand up for us, they are there when we need them… They’re just someone we can count on. It takes time though, for someone to kind of reach that status in our life. Someone we can call a trustworthy friend.

 For all these same reasons, it sometimes takes us time before we feel we can trust God. But think about what Jesus did for us… It was really the ultimate act of a trustworthy friend. It’s like if the new guy in middle school jumps in and defends the kid being bullied. Risking his own physical safety and social status, without even knowing this kid. Doesn’t he kind of instantly prove himself to be a stand-up guy, a person of integrity, a trustworthy friend?

Well, that’s exactly what Jesus did. Before you were born Jesus stood up for you. He went to bat for you. He sang your praises, and asked his Father to forgive you for anything you ever did or ever would do.

And he understands your weaknesses and your temptations. He knows you will continue to sin. But he’s on your side  anyway. Not just pleading with the Father, not just standing up for you, but with the ultimate sacrifice. The most gruesome death we could ever imagine – and truly we can’t imagine it today. But that’s what he did for you and for me. That’s what he came here for.

And that’s why we can trust him. Instantly really. As soon as we can wrap our minds around all he did.

One way to build our trust in God is to establish a practice of gratitude. Making it a point to notice every good thing God has provided; in your relationships, in your salvation, in the beauty of nature, in your freedom and resources, in everything in your everyday life  that is good.

Every good and perfect gift comes from above. Jas 1:17

Reflections on Good Friday…

As a child growing up, and even as an adult – until very recently-  I never thought much about Barabbas in the story of Jesus’ crucifixion.

I knew he was one of the bad guys in the story. That he got away with murder, and Jesus died in his place. That the crowds all shouted for Jesus to die instead, on the day that Pilate traditionally let one criminal go free. I knew Barabbas was the lucky one who got let off the hook. Because the angry mob so desperately wanted to kill Jesus.

But Barabbas runs off and in the Bible not much else is said about him. So I never really gave him another thought. More recently though,  in the last few years as I’ve been studying my Bible,  I discovered that ‘Bar’  means ‘son of’  and many of us know  ‘Abba’ means ‘father’  so it just sort of occurred to me that Bar-Abbas  must mean  ‘son of the fathers’.  It really gave me pause because I thought wow… Bar-Abbas, son of the fathers, that represents… Us. 

We… are the son of the fathers.  We are the ones who got let off the hook.  We are the ones who inexplicably get set free. Undeservedly set free. Unbelievably set free from our sins.

And I wonder if Barabbas was grateful. Did he have any idea who Jesus even was? Did he become a believer? Did he just think he had a lucky break? Just like I wonder if I am grateful, if we are grateful, on a daily basis because of what we have been set free from.  

The Bible holds so many magnificent secrets and details that can change your life… If only we would read it and give it a chance. There’s really so much more there than meets the eye.  It’s an incredible story and it holds incredible Truth.

We give adulation in weird doses sometimes, don’t you think?

I saw the three young actors from the Netflix series “Stranger Things” on a talk show and everyone in the audience went absolutely berserk.  It wasn’t a totally unusual response, just over the top enthusiastic. But the thing that made me take notice was, the young stars’ reactions. These kids were 12-14 years old and new to stardom,  and seemed so inexperienced and unpracticed, that they looked overwhelmed and almost frightened as they entered the set.

I have watched the series, and love it, by the way. It’s a great show and the actors do a terrific job. It just made me kind of wonder… why do we do that? Why is an audience of, most likely, moms, dads, teachers, health care professionals, college students, business owners…accomplished, productive people applauding like mad for a trio of children?

Who Is Praise-Worthy?

Yes they entertain us, yes they do a great job of acting… and that’s all well and good. But when’s the last time we applauded or thanked the people who really make a difference in our life?  Your child’s teacher, a police officer, doctor, child care provider or the guy who plows your snow and get you out of your driveway in the morning?

These are the people actually critical to our day-to-day lives, all these people playing specific roles to help our lives run smoothly… and we barely give them  notice. But someone high profile who happens to have a gift and – granted does it very well, whether it’s singing, acting or sports-ing – well, we just go crazy for them.

I heard a preacher address this once, saying some people  are uncomfortable with those who raise their hands or sing loudly in church, but it is simply a form of praise and worship.  We’re expressing how we feel about Jesus. And if you think it’s weird, just think about what goes on at a Justin Bieber or Adele concert. Or at a football game. People yelling, screaming, raising their hands in the air, singing, chanting, cheering, swaying… all sorts of things. And we think that’s perfectly normal.

He makes a good point. It resonated with me because I had always been one who felt uncomfortable about people behaving that way at church. We think it’s cute or funny to see a 12 year old girl jumping and shouting and singing and even crying at a boy band concert. But if we see someone emoting at all like that  in church, some of us feel it is a little odd. Why is that?

And it’s not just performers and sports stars we reserve this hero worship for. It even happens in church. People sometimes look up to the person in the pulpit with a sense of awe, and are somewhat intimidated or star struck  with these models of spirituality. Of course we should respect someone in authority, especially when they are exercising that authority. But to treat them differently as a person, or with more respect than we treat the guy who picks up our trash  is not only unnecessary, it is in direct opposition to what Jesus taught.

Everyday Heroes

How about we start to honor and applaud the real heroes in our everyday lives? What might your spouse say if you thanked them for being such a good partner or good parent or good provider? Maybe it’s time to call your mom or dad and say thanks for how they raised you. Or your siblings, to tell them you remember how much fun you had growing up with them, and how supportive they were. Or maybe an easier place to start is with a note to the mailman or your child’s teacher, or an email to a co-worker to tell them you appreciate what they do.  

One kind act can change someone’s day or week. Sometimes even their life, if the timing is right.  You never know what someone might be going through. Speaking words of gratitude and praise into someone’s life could make all the difference.  We have the power to give hope and encouragement, and build someone up, simply with our words.

Whose day can you brighten this week?

Ever have a scripture verse that  you’ve breezed by a dozen times, then suddenly it jumps out at you with new  meaning? I can’t stop reading Ephesians 1:3 through 10

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will- to the praise of his glorious grace,  .… With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will…  – To bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. (emphasis mine)

God chose us in him (Jesus) before the creation of the world
…can we even comprehend this? That each one of us that God put on this earth were chosen to be here. Right now, at this time, for some heavenly reason. God put you where you are ‘for such a time as this’ to quote from the book of Esther. You are no accident. You are not ordinary or random or unimportant in any way. Though the world may not know your name, you may not be famous, you may not feel important…in the really Big Scheme of things you are of utmost importance to God and his plan.

The Big Picture

I’ve come to view it all kind of like a jigsaw puzzle. Like back in the beginning of time, things were perfect, you know, Garden of Eden perfect. Awesome scenery, tons of healthy, delicious food,  you don’t have to wear pants, you’re favorite person is there to hang with, no alarm clock…you know, perfect.

But then sin  entered the world.
And it was like that picture of perfection became like a jigsaw puzzle that got smashed into a million pieces. Or 7 billion pieces, to be more precise.  And now, God has equipped each of us to be a part in putting that puzzle back together. Every One of us is an important piece of that puzzle. Whether you’re a police officer, criminal, physical therapist, stay at home mom, student, CEO,  drug addict, alcoholic or the Pope. The puzzle will not be complete without each of us doing our part. You may not be in God’s will right now, you may not be doing what He has planned for you. You may not feel important or known in this world, but you are critical to God, to putting his perfect picture back together.

He predestined us for adoption to sonship
 We are All part of the family. EVERYONE is welcome and expected at the table. We are pre-destined! God has determined it to be so, ahead of time. It’s like pre-ordering tickets to an event. You paid for the tickets. You are planning to go, you are expecting to go. In your mind, there is no way you are not going. God feels that way about us, I believe. He is planning for us all to come into sonship, into his family. No one is uninvited. The welcome mat is big enough for the Pope and the criminal. Faith, repentance and surrender is the ticket price.

Our Part

The mystery of his will…  -to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth.
It seems so simple doesn’t it? God Wants Us To Get Along! Come on, you know the feeling, if you have kids – or siblings, friends or coworkers- who are squabbling.  “Why can’t we all just get along?’   is the weary battle cry of many a parent on those days when things just aren’t gelling. It has now become something of an anthem for those of us sick of the fighting between political parties, church denominations, social classes, genders, races…man, we sure can find a lot of ways to separate ourselves from others.

I like to remember what  Peter said in Acts 10:34 and Paul said in Romans 2:11  essentially ‘God is no respecter of persons’ which sounds like it means something it does not. It’s not a matter of God having or not having respect for us (which is what I thought it meant at first), it is that God does not have a higher regard for one person over another.  Teacher, lawyer, pastor, atheist, criminal… God loves us all; equally, and completely. And more than we could ever imagine.

In Summary:  God planned for, wanted, and loves each one of us. He has a plan for each of our lives and we are invited, we are welcome, and we are desired by God to see him as our Father.  And He wants us all to love, serve, and get along with  each other.  I think that covers it.

We recently watched the movie  ‘A Case for Christ’-  it’s a true story about Lee Strobel, a journalist for the Chicago Tribune back in the 70’s and 80’s. He was a devout atheist and he and his wife were raising their daughter to be an atheist as well. Being a journalist, he was very facts-based, very scientific when it came to deciding what was true.

So,  when his wife begins to question about faith, go to church, and read the Bible, he gets pretty upset with her. He  decides to do  some investigative journalism for himself, to prove that Christianity is false. I mean, these ridiculous stories of the  Bible should not be very hard to debunk, right?

So,  Strobel decides to focus on debunking the resurrection of Jesus, because it is the central theme of Christianity.  And without it being true, the entire basis of the Christian faith falls apart. So he  researches many authorities and experts, all over the country and internationally as well. Some believers, some not. He is super thorough and pursues the evidence as only a journalist would. He comes to a very fact-based, reasoned conclusion that  satisfied the reporter in him (and the scientist in me.) Spoiler Alert, he realizes that there is no denying that the resurrection happened. He eventually becomes a follower of Jesus Christ based partially on the evidence he uncovered.

Here is his terrific 90 second summary of coming to faith called ‘The Last Bible Verse I Read as an Atheist.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbd1SdZvwm8

It is a fascinating story and a great discussion to have with someone who  finds it difficult to believe because of  “the facts”.  Often, those who don’t believe – because of the facts – haven’t really taken the time to learn the facts.  This was pretty much me, way back in the day (about 4 years ago). I called myself a Christian, but was not really convinced that what the Bible said was completely true.  I have found, as Strobel did, It is pretty hard to deny if you are willing to pursue the truth with an open mind . Andy Stanley of Northpoint Church in Atlanta, Georgia says …we are not called to ‘blind faith’. Jesus never asked anyone to believe ‘just because’….  

The gospels are filled with historical facts, cross references and details that are undeniable.  And if you take the time, read them thoughtfully- and decide to just quiet your inner skeptic for a minute – I believe there really is very little chance you will not come to the same conclusion Strobel did. I nearly guarantee it. I dare you to try it.

But even if I’m wrong, isn’t it worth the risk? If what they say about Jesus has even a remote possibility of being true, don’t you want to know? Don’t you want to check it out for yourself, instead of just denying it out of hand, based on what others have said?  

I ask you, no- beg you,  to take one month, and open a Bible and start by reading the gospels. With an open mind and open heart ask God, or even challenge Him to show you if this is true. Not with scoffing or denying or cynical opposition. Just on the off chance any of it might be real.  It will change your life. Forever. I guarantee it.

 It’s what I first did, four years ago. I did the Joyce Meyer 30/30 challenge to read the Bible for 30 minutes a day, for 30 days.  I thought I’d never get through the 30 days, at first. The first 10 days were rough, but I decided to stick it out. I became so engrossed, I continued for another fifteen months or so. (I still read Scripture most days, now.) If you try it and you stick with it, I cannot tell you the change that will begin to take place in your life. Perhaps something to take up for the remainder of Lent, if you are so inclined.

If your life is great and perfect and satisfying beyond belief, and you have no problems or concerns right now, or about your future or what happens after you die, and you are doing exactly what you know you were born to do and couldn’t be happier, and you know nothing will ever change…then maybe you don’t need to bother.

Thing is, we can never guarantee that things won’t change. Life can turn on a dime. Trust me, I know. You can be bopping along all fat and happy and the bottom can drop out on you so fast, it’ll make your head spin.  At times like that, a belief in something bigger than yourself sure comes in handy.
And the rewards are truly greater than you could ever imagine.

What do you have to lose?

What do you think is the one word God would use to describe how he feels about you, specifically? Think about that for a minute.

I read a study on this topic and I guess the word that was most common didn’t really surprise me. Because it was the word that I thought of first, too. Did you come up with something?

The most common word that Christians said they believed God felt, when he thought about them,  was “disappointed”.

Isn’t that something? Logic might lead you to believe the word should be “love”.  As Christians we’re taught  that God loves us no matter what.  But I think it’s a lot easier to believe that’s true in the general sense like, yeah God loves us all…
But it’s not quite as easy to believe that he loves each of  us, specifically and individually.  

Doing God’s Will

We may come to accept that God loves us, but deep down, I think we often have a sense that he has so much more for us, that we just aren’t accessing. That we are disappointing him somehow, that we could be  doing more for others and receiving more blessings if we would just trust God and submit to his will.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to him, and he will make straight your paths. Pr. 3:5-6

I so struggle with the ‘trust’ and ‘submission’ part of that scripture,  which of course go hand-in-hand.  I think trust, submission and obedience are the big three when it comes to showing God our faith.

My own real problem is in obedience. I feel like I know there are certain things God wants me to do, but because of fear I can’t bring myself to do them. I say I trust, I want to submit, but ultimately I fail in obedience. Why? Fear of failure, mostly. Because I worry about what others will think of me, even though I feel that God wants me to do certain things.

Maybe there is a reason so many of us answer the above question with “disappointed”.   Because perhaps, it is half-true. Maybe God Is disappointed. Thinking about this earlier, I came up with…when I do not obey God, and submit to his will, doing what I know he wants me to do, he is not disappointed IN me, he is disappointed FOR me.

BIG difference.

It’s like with our own kids. When we watch them venture into the world and try new things; whether it’s joining a group of toddlers at preschool,   saying ‘yes’ to taking off the training wheels on their bike…or later;  trying out for the basketball team, volunteering at church, or auditioning for the school play…we’re  so happy that our kids are willing to step out. When they decide not to try something that we know they would really benefit from, we’re not disappointed IN them, we’re disappointed FOR them. For a missed opportunity.  

It’s no different with God.

Trust Over Fear

He has so many good things in store for us, if we would just listen for his voice, trust him, and act in obedience. Yes, it can be scary, yes it’s weird sometimes, yes, we might fail…But how will you ever know if you don’t step out?

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28  

If we never trust God and take a leap of faith, we’ll never know what good thing we might have been able to participate in.

Fear of failure is a huge stumbling block for so many of us. But God’s love for us is not tied to our success. He loves me right now as much as he ever will. And if I obey and do everything he asks of me, and all kinds of wonderful things happen because of my obedience, God is still not going to love me anymore than he loves me right this minute. That is such a difficult thing to fathom! But it is a truth that is in Scripture, and for me it’s one of the hardest things to accept. That no matter what I do God loves me. And he loves you.

Thank goodness he gave us children and parenthood to give us a small shadow, an echo of what he feels for us. But it’s just that – an echo. God’s love is infinitely bigger than the love that we can ever possibly dream of possessing, even for our own children. Because God Is love. He’s the source of all love, he invented it. Without him, being loved, or loving someone else would not be possible.

This is why “LOVE” should be the word that we know God feels, when he thinks of us.

So, back to trusting God. What are you sensing that God is telling you to do? I felt prompted  in my heart to write this blog. And I’ve been resisting it and I’ve been putting it off. And I’ve been hesitating. But no more. For Lent, I’m going to jump in and do it. I’m going to try to post every week. And I ask you to join me because I really need your feedback. (Please subscribe, top right, for notifications of posts →)

But I’ll  also ask you to join me in searching your own heart for what you really feel and really sense God is asking of you. And then going out there and doing it. Don’t worry, he’ll direct your steps, he’ll guide you – he’s got your back.  #TrustHim

Skipping around through my bible, I came across some verses that got me thinking…

Many of us are familiar with the scripture from Hebrews 12:2   …Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith,
and then I read in Acts 3:15, Peter saying …You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead… 
and so it made me think, that in some ways, faith is life.

Stay with me a minute here…
Whatever we place our faith in, becomes essentially, what we base our life on – what we live for. You may not have thought of it this way, but really, we choose  what to place our faith in, even if we think we don’t have  ‘faith’.

If it’s money and possessions that we rely on to satisfy us,  we go down the path of materialism. If it’s a relationship with someone,  our happiness and joy hangs on the every word, action and approval of  that person, or those we love, and so then our chance of offense is great. If we place our faith in our work, what we do for a living, then our satisfaction hinges on our daily success on the job,  in whatever expectations our boss or co-workers have placed on us, or that next raise, that next promotion.

Sometimes, worse yet, we simply place our faith in ourselves. We don’t need any help, we think    I got this, I don’t need anyone, I can handle it.      If our faith is in ourselves, we live in fear.  Fear of failure, fear of disappointment, fear of what others think of us and of everything  we do.

Even when it is our family that is our identity and our highest priority,  and what we place our faith in, that can be a misplaced level of importance, too.

But… if we place our faith in God, and His promises, our life resides more in the spirit realm.  We can begin to see ourselves the way God sees us, and that our hope is not in the things of this world, but in what God has planned for us.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1 

We can then truly live as though we are in this world, but not of it. That we are simply passing through.  Maybe then our focus can be – Will the world be a better place because I was here? Have I left my little corner of the planet better off than I found it? Has anyone else’s life benefited because I was here?

Maybe some food for thought as we enter 2018.

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy, Blessed New Year!

Just exited a Lutheran church’s parking lot -after missing my destination and  doing a turn around-  and I noticed something that struck me.  As I was leaving the lot to go onto the main street, there was a sign that said

You Are Now
Entering
The Mission Field

I.  Love That!
Some people leave church after Sunday morning service and think, ‘Okay, that’s done.  Check it off the to-do list.’   I used to.  I’d check that  ‘go to church’  box and feel I was done with my religious requirement for the week. 

I know better now, that  church attendance is not the whole of our Christian life,  but that sign made me think;  you know,  in reality,  it’s just about the opposite.  We go to church to worship God and to encourage,  fellowship and pray  with other Christians. But our work as a Christian is  -for the most part-  everywhere else but church.  With the exception of pastors, worship leaders, and others whose calling is working directly in ministry.  For most of us, church should be  the jumping off point to a real life of service, to  accomplishing God’s  purpose.

I’ve since  learned that being a Christian is not about what you do in church. Not very much, anyway. If you look at Christianity as “Love God, Love Others” ,  then being in church on Sunday is just a small part of the first half of that equation; the Loving God part.  But you’re a Christian every day of the week.  You’re a Christian in the things that you do and say outside of church.   And in the  way that you choose to spend your time,  and the sacrifices you are willing to make for others…

 I used to think I was doing God a favor by going to church.  But it’s the other way around. 

I think we actually go to church to get filled up.  We go to church to get inspired, to get ideas about how better to serve others.  Maybe to actually rest from service a little.  To let God’s grace wash over us.  And to be refreshed. 

I saw an interview with Jeff Foxworthy, a stand up comic, about serving those in need in your community. He said  ” My life is the best when I’m not the most important thing in it.”  And,   ” Once you’ve tasted purpose, you can’t be happy with just existing anymore.” (That’s a sermon in itself.)

Foxworthy talks with Andy Stanley, pastor of Northpoint church in Atlanta about his mission and what he is doing in the homeless community in Atlanta. It’s a great interview and it is worth checking out:    http://northpoint.live/messages/be-rich-2017/andy-stanley-with-jeff-foxworthy-just-say-yes

 So your mission field really does start when you leave church.
Sunday afternoon does not have to be the end of your spirituality for the week!

It’s just the beginning.