“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.”
Matthew 7:13
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This narrow gate comes with a shepherd to guide us. When we hold fast to Him our way is made sure.
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Join me starting Dec 7 as we explore 25 of the 1,000s of promises of God through the Book of Isaiah. “Follow” my blog to receive your daily “Hold The Line” posts.
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Saul’s Conversion
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men traveling with Saul stood there amazed; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
Acts 9:1-6
These last 11 months my BSGs have completed four different Bible studies. We have to laugh now after every question that asks something along the line of, “What does God expect of us?” The answer is always to obey. If only we humans could figure that part out. Yes, at times Jesus’ teachings seem a bit fuzzy. In fact, during His last few hours His disciples were very confused.
At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”
John 16:17
And as Jesus continues in John 16: 28 with, “I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father,” the disciples reply with “Ah, now you are speaking plainly!” So often we may think that Jesus is only the figurative speaker. And we need to pray on and discern what He may truly want from us. But by studying the Word and therefore the character of Jesus we find His is more the plain speaker than not.
When Jesus told Saul, “Now get up and go into the city” there were no ifs, ands, or buts. Do it. Obey. Yes, Saul had the choice to do it or not. Thankfully, he listened and obeyed Jesus’ amazing directive. Twice I have had God speak to me in very loud, definitive terms. Once in hearing His actual voice convicting me to true action in my spiritual life. And once in a vision directing me to do His works. And I obeyed. And yet there are many, many other times when I have heard His quieter voice directing me and I questioned or even ignored Him.
How many times has He clearly told you to stop and speak to someone and you refused? How many times has you told you exactly what you need to do to lose weight, stop smoking, stop hating, stop doing something destructive and start living out His Word? In one of my Bible studies this week a friend told me of a vision she once had. Her relationship with Jesus has been tumultuous because of family issues. She leans a lot on Eastern religions. In this vision she was being loved as a baby and coddled by the Dali Lama. And then Jesus approached and the Dali Lama handed her over to Jesus. She screamed “NO!” What I found so fascinating about this and all the times I, myself, have refused to obey, is how we humans so easily place ourselves above the Divine. You realize that is exactly what we do when we ignore the amazing directives of Jesus? We think we know better. But we can never see the whole story of our lives. We can never fully understand how interconnected all our actions or inactions are and the impact they may make.
About three months ago my friend Caroline was asked to obey an amazing Jesus directive. While walking through the patio at church she saw a young woman sitting by herself. Jesus said, “Go talk to her.” Now, my friend is not some uber, outgoing person so this made her feel a little uncomfortable. But because of the Bible study we were doing at the time she said, “ok” and sat down with the young woman. During the conversation she found out that this young woman, who recently moved from out of town to go to college nearby, was in fact a college classmate of her own daughter. She passed along her daughter’s phone number. The tasks being obeyed, the young woman and my friend went about their lives. Fast forward to yesterday. This is the text my friend received from that young woman:
“Hi!! I know this seems so random but I’m actually heading back to Hawaii for Thanksgiving until January and I’ve just been doing a lot of reflecting on all the amazing people I met here in the last 3 months and feeling so grateful! I just wanted to say thanks for reaching out to me that one night, I remember feeling kind of uncomfortable but it was so special and such a gift from God that I was able to chat with you and see that we had so many connections already!! Anyways, just wanted to say thank you again and I’m so appreciative of that time that you took to chat with me!”
My friend obeyed Jesus’ directive of a simple act of hospitality and a life was changed.
Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.
Life Principle 9, Charles F. Stanley
Jesus says to, “Follow me.” It’s an opportunity for us to obey. And as my faith journey this year has evolved, I realized my growth spurts have come each time I have listened to an amazing directive and obeyed. Each time my trust grows is each time His trust in me grows. Yes, His trust in me. Because until we can be trusted to obey His small directives, like helping the person in the grocery store parking lot, He won’t entrust with something bigger. And I don’t know about you but I want Jesus to trust me enough that I will do His amazing works till the end of my days.
Today when you hear that whispered directive from Jesus, obey. You know His voice. You know His character. He and satan are clearly differentiated. So stop questioning Him. Obey.
I’m currently doing two different Bible studies – one that focuses on 1 & 2 Kings and another that accounts Jesus’ last words in John. What strikes me about both is that as God’s children, we always seem to fail. We fail and we fail and we fail, yet He forgives and forgives and forgives. How amazing is that?
This week, I asked my BSGs (Bible Study Girls) a question: “Does God punish us?” It led to a great discussion and a lot of contemplation. The Old Testament is full of quite a lot of “punishment.” We often see kings’ children die because of the “evil they did in the eyes of the Lord.” (1 Kings 15:34; 1 Kings 16:2, 7, 19, 26 and 31) I mean, they just couldn’t seem to figure out this whole obedience to God thing. Most notably, King Zimri (1 Kings 16: 15-20) was so tainted by greed and power that his reign only last seven days before he died in a fire as consequence of his own sin. All the droughts, wars, disease and more – were all signs of a nation enthralled by the flesh rather than God’s authority and power.
These Old Testament stories often leave a bad taste in both the Christian and non-Christian’s mouth. At the surface, they paint God’s wrath in vivid colors and appall those who can’t grasp why God would let such terrible things happen to his chosen nation. The reality is, God is wrathful – and we mustn’t forget that. But He is also a loving God whose plan was always Jesus, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. With that truth, we can re-read the story of the seven plagues, the 40 years in the wilderness and the tragedies of King David and know that God works all things for our good and His Glory – because of Jesus. At the center of this undeserving covenant we gain through Jesus is a desire for obedience and faithfulness to God’s Word BECAUSE we know the amazing sacrifice that was made for us on the cross. Amidst this, there is grace – so much grace. For God still knows that all of His children have fallen short of His glory, and will continue to fall short until we are joined in heaven one day. His plan has always been of love and forgiveness. And that’s pretty amazing.
So, my BSGs and I came to the conclusion that yes, there are consequences for sin and we will most likely always be hanging on tight to a pendulum that is constantly swinging between faith and doubt, but amidst that, we must trust that His plan is better and good, and right.
Besides, how often do we look in judgment at the disobedient child in the grocery store or in a restaurant and mutter to ourselves “Looks like that child needs some discipline.” Yet, we scoff and “find it hard to believe” in a God who disciplines His children – for their good and His Glory. We must find comfort in knowing we have a Father who loves us so much that he disciplines us.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11
I, for one am thankful to now be living under the loving discipline of a perfect Father. Knowing what it is like to live without an earthly one and living a majority of my life outside of God’s will, fulfilling the desires of my flesh – I am utterly grateful and amazed to have a God who cares for my heart and soul. I struggle to control situations, control those around me and those I love. When I realize that this control stems from a lack of trust in the love of my heavenly Father, I begin to loosen my grip and experience true freedom. God’s power to overwhelm me with His love is amazing. His forgiveness for me is amazing. His grace for me is amazing.
Once I started truly studying the Word of God, and Jesus’ teachings, in the Bible I realized how loving, how amazing the character of God is. He always has our best interest in mind. He is always leading us to something better. He never gives up on us, no matter how many times we give up on Him. Jesus’ lineage, as seen in Matthew 1, is made up of a bunch of people just like us. People who have failed God. People like King David who is the textbook example of a sinner, yet He is a sinner whose household was redeemed because of Jesus.
Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem, setting up his son after him, and establishing Jerusalem.
1 Kings 15:4
So today, as we enter a tumultuous, unnerving time in the United States, I challenge you to join me in finding amazement in God each day. From now until the end of November, check back every day for encouragement and guidance through the scripture as we visit several examples of how Jesus left those around him amazed.
Although we may lack faith or struggle to believe that His plans for our world are good, we must remember the plan God had for the early nation of Israel. The first part of that redemption has already been fulfilled, now we must wait expectantly for the amazing work He has in store.
My husband used to watch The Sopranos religiously. I for one, have never enjoyed any mob-related tv show or movie. The reason being is in order for the “Mob” to be successful it requires a willing citizenry to, at best, look away or at its worst, show favoritism. Never has there been more a blatant example than the Italian Mafia and the Catholic Church. Until recently the mafia had unfettered access to the church in Italy. Many priests would almost be part of the “family.” And why? There lies the question of favoritism.
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”
James 2:1
James goes on to ask the reader what they would do if you saw a beggar and a rich man enter your church. Who would get the seat of honor? And why? It’s typical for churches to seat VIPs front and center. But did you know churches didn’t have places to sit for about 1,400 years? During the protestant reformation, churches began selling boxes to the wealthy for them to sit in, along with their families and special guests. The poor still had to stand at the back. And of course, there’s the private wings so common throughout Italian churches where wealthy families have their patriarch’s painting and own altar. It’s as though the entire biblical message about favoritism had been lost.
The underlying theme of favoritism comes down to a perceived value — real or imagined. Yes, we can say people are afraid of the mob. But they sure did love the money those mafia families provided the Italian churches and other communities in which they currently operate. Favoritism also is born of the desire for power or fame. Which results in, typically, more money.
“Privileged groups work for greater power consolidation through favoritism.”
Bryant McGill, Voice of Reason
In other words, we humans love to have other humans adore us and vice versa. We favor those we think can provide us more wealth and power. This is not based on race, color, etc. If someone has what we desire, we’ll cozy up to them. It’s not reserved for just adult relationships. “Stage moms,” “dance moms,” “band dads,” “pool parents” are just some examples of how we adults use children to elevate ourselves. We make sure our kid is friends with the best athlete on the team so they can be “in.” Or we just promote our kid to anyone who will listen, thereby rubbing some shine on us.
The dangers of favoritism and the sins it fosters can been seen throughout the Bible. Stories of brotherly jealousy (Joseph and that coat!), wives wanting to be favored (Rachael and Leah), kings worried about losing power (Saul vs David) and whole churches fighting over leadership (Corinth) all include favoritism within.
And yet it’s God’s words that tell us to treat people equally – even our slaves. We are admonished to “Treat your slaves in the same way (as the slaves are to treat their masters). Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven and there is no favoritism in him.” Note, the subject of slavery was different at that time. Many people sold themselves into slavery to pay off debts or even to be under a “master” who would take care of all their needs. Even professionals – such as doctors, artists, etc – sometimes made this choice.
The funny thing about God is He is always looking for ways to teach us and get us to see His truth of Love, Mercy and Forgiveness. Like showing favoritism to a mobster, the true consequences are what we would normally wish to avoid. Frequently the person or group receiving the favor will then wield that power and authority over you. We see this when Jesus speaks in the synagogue.
“Beware of the teachers of the Law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.”
Luke 20:46
And all the people bowed to them as they walked around like “cock of the walks.” Showing them favoritism while spitting on Jesus. But here’s the result:
“They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished severely.”
Today we favor celebrities, overlooking all their sins. For a glance from them some would pay any price. We favor famous pastors and pretend we don’t see how they twist scripture. We favor politicians because they know how to say just the right things to make us feel good, even though their years of actions are in direct opposition to us. We favor certain races because its “socially aware.” We might favor one of our children or a teacher, a student in our class, a player on the team we coach, or someone with a higher status. But we must also be aware that favoritism toward what we’d think wouldn’t be in this category is wrong — toward the perceived “lesser.” Those that expend hate for the rich because of a supposed love for the poor are still in the wrong. What they get out of this type of outrage is a sense of piety. Even being a champion of the disabled while having disdain for able-bodied is not equality. It doesn’t matter if the subject of your favoritism is rich, poor, black or white, high or low in status, young or old, the Bible is clear — it’s wrong. The sin comes in what we expect out of that favoritism and what have we done to those “out” of our favor. It creeps into our lives sometimes without us being fully aware. And what’s worse, it can bring out hatred. We can feel jealously while still favoring others. People outside our little “clicks” feel left out, ignored or even abused.
“God does not show favoritism.”
Romans 2:11
It reminds me of a children’s book I once read and it helps me to put it all in perspective. It’s a reminder that everyone that day will poop. A very “undignified” and messy action that everyone, no matter their status, wealth, race, color or creed will undertake. The pope, the US president, Lebron James, Tom Brady, Oprah, Lionel Messi, Christina Aguilera, the mafia boss, your mayor, your pastor, your mother in law, the homeless person, you. Everybody poops. God did that. I think it’s one of His little winks.
Write down all the people or groups you tend to favor. Pray about how you can flip that script and treat people equally.
I’ve long found it fascinating when I hear people say they’ve never heard from God. In a previous church Bible Study, where the majority of the women were over 70, it actually saddened me to listen to woman after woman say she loved God but never really felt His presence or heard Him speak. As I delve into a deeper relationship with our Lord, I keep hearing the same message from Him – you can walk up an aisle, stand when called, or raise your hand when asked if you want to receive Jesus, but until we seek out a personal relationship with Him our faith remains unfulfilled.
I recently was reading about a centurion man named Cornelius in Acts 10. He was not a Jew yet was devout to God. His family was considered “God-fearing.” He gave generously and prayed regularly. But He did not know Jesus was His savior. The Holy Spirit came to him one day.
“Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.”
Acts 10: 4-5
He immediately obeyed. What was to unfold was discipleship at its finest. Trusting God’s word, obeying even though it seemed unreasonable. In the end, thanks to the actions of many, Cornelius and his family became the first gentile Christians – paving the way to you and me.
If you have ever watched the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” you will surely get the message of our interconnectedness. We so often think we are small and insignificant, while strangely also thinking everyone needs to know our opinions. But it is the actions we take – led by the Holy Spirit – that cause ripples of which only God truly knows the effects. My current Bible Study Girls are studying Charles Stanley’s, “30 Life Principles.” We’ve started to joke about if all Mr. Stanley wrote were the words, “obey God,” the book could’ve been much shorter! In fact, five of the 30 principles specifically use the word “obey.” Many of the others are really just variations of the idea.
To obey something is to first know what that something is or wants. Which means listening. Which means paying attention. I’ve challenged many friends and Bible study participants to take my “Coincidence Challenge.” For 30 days, every time you hear just the right song, see a sign that says the right thing at the right time, or a friend calls when you need to hear a friendly voice, don’t call it a coincidence. Call it God. When you do, you’ll find he isn’t silent. In fact, He is babbling away at you, desperately trying to get your attention.
The Book of James calls us to that personal relationship of listening and obeying God. His message is to those of us who already call ourselves Christians. It would be unfair to hold anyone else to the standards of which he writes. Many of these standards are difficult and challenging. And we are unable to meet these standards without a faith in God. God alone is our strength to keep us on the narrow path. At times it seems James is shaking us out of our Christian sleepiness. Calling us to wake up, pay attention and serve God with all our heart, mind and soul. James is the proverbial “bad cop.” But sometimes we need admonishment. We need correction.
I was having lunch with a good friend the other day and she said she needs friends who can call her on her “stuff.” If we are surrounded by “yes men” we struggle to improve our lives. It can lead us down destructive paths when the standards held by the majority of whom we associate with are “almost right” or just plain anti-Biblical. But when we have people who love us, want the best for us, and call us on our “stuff” based on Jesus’ standards, we grow to be our better selves. James is that friend. More importantly, James reminds us that God is that same friend.
“You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
John 15: 14-15
This week we will be talking about James 1. Trials, temptations, wisdom, listening, and action are on the plate. So, buckle up. We are about to strip down to some hard truths. But remember too, that God is a merciful, loving and thankfully forgiving God. That same friend who said she needs friends to call her on her “stuff” also said she’s worried that a study in James will be painfully convicting. Let’s right now agree that if God shines a light on an area that needs work in our lives He does so out of love. He wants more for us. He knows what the future can bring us. So, we need to lean in to the stripping away of our old selves so that we can live in His plans for us fully.
Do you regularly hear from God? Tell us of a time you were asked to obey and it seemed unreasonable yet you took action. If not take the “Coincidence Challenge!”
It’s much easier to talk about God than obey Him. We put on our cross necklace or stick our fish bumper sticker on our car and declared “It is good.” What if our children treated us the same way?
Join me starting September 7 as we wade through the Book of James. Follow my blog to receive your daily emails!
Two summers ago I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Prague in the Czech Republic. It’s only been since 1993 that this country became free from the bonds of communism. It was amazing to see the vibrant growth and renewal throughout the city. And yet the ravages of communism were still evident. You could sit at a street corner and watch the traffic go by and all the city busses. What I realized was there were no busses made after the 1960s. There were 50s era street cars, which were quaint. But no modern busses. It was as though life stopped when the money ran out. Democracy and capitalism take awhile to take hold — people trained to fear innovation and freedom need to adjust to the light.
I had heard about the Museum of Communism in Prague, established in 2001. The description of it is, “an immersive look at life behind the Iron Curtain.” But it was much more than that. I’ve told my friends that every single US student should visit this museum. It’s a stark, educational, hold no punches, recording of the dangers of communism. What has stayed with me were the photos of priests being led away by secret police. Hundreds of priest were killed in order to control religion. At first, churches were allowed to function only under state control. The government decided who were favored priests and who were not. The government decided which liturgies could be celebrated and which could not. And those who did not comply were shot. Priests that were “approved” were paid by the government to acquire their loyalty. In 1950, the government seized all church properties. They plundered over 1,000 church buildings, stealing thousands of works of art and religious artifacts. The approved churches began to lose parishioners as they were associated with the repressive government. The end result? The Czech Republic is considered one of the least religious countries in Europe.
Joseph Bondarenko, a Russian evangelical minister, didn’t give in to the communist regime. He was expelled from university for illegally engaging in religious activities in the Soviet Union. He was undeterred. He was put in prison multiple times. He took to heart the lessons the disciples wrote in the New Testament. When we make serving God our priority we will have eternal blessings. Recently, when speaking with worship leader and founder of Let Us Worship, Sean Feucht, Bondarenko spoke of the signs of communism creeping into our society. He said,
“Don’t they realize what is happening now in America is exactly what happened to us in communist Russia? It started with ‘Don’t gather. Don’t sing. Spread apart. Listen to the government.’ Then it quickly turned into full on persecution and the church did not wake up in time.”
Joseph Bondarenko
You may be reading this and thinking, “that’s not going to happen in America.” In California we are told we cannot meet in our churches. We cannot sing. Indefinitely. We must listen to the government. And the majority of our pastors are compliant. Some have rebelled. The ones that rebel are vilified in our media — and by “Christians.” My friend who is not Christian doesn’t understand. She tells me if Christians think God is all mighty and who we should solely put our faith in then why aren’t all pastors rebelling?
In my Bible study group the other day we were talking about the loss of being with our church families. Praising God in community and raising our collective voices. I told them my fear is we will become like the Czech Republic. Where, once our churches are “allowed” to open, that no one or few will come. Our churches, our pastors, our faith leaders chose government over God. How can we move forward with them as our guides? They espouse “faith over fear” yet, fear is exactly what they have taught us these last six months.
The prophet Haggai was tasked to admonish the Israelites about rebuilding the temple in the year 520. But the Jews gave excuses. They said the economy wasn’t good enough. They said maybe God didn’t really want them to do it. They said they needed to take care of their own needs first. And yet, they continued to complain about the drought and their oppression. Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on Haggai 1:1-4 is,
When we put God first and give Him what’s rightfully His, we open the door to spiritual enrichment and the kind of stewardship that honors God.
May we open our Christian eyes sooner, not later, to obey God’s command to rebuild His temple.
On a warm summer evening my husband and I were enjoying a walk along Prague’s Vltava River. We crossed over one of the beautiful bridges, heading to a park. We stopped in the middle to enjoy the view. I started humming along to a song I could hear off in the distance. As we got closer to the park, the music got louder. I kept thinking how familiar that song sounded. We took the steps down from the bridge into a park where a small concert was being held. And it hit me. Singing in Czech, was a band playing a Christian praise song. And all around — about 100 young people — were people singing, lifting hands in the name of our Lord. In this town that had seemingly lost its faith, faith was being re-born. He never forsakes us. He calls us back into His loving arms.
As I’ve gotten older my allergies have gotten worse. I’ve had sinus surgery and I’m currently going through the allergy shot regimen. And yet I still need to take allergy pills both in the morning and at night. In the early years of this battle I experimented with different allergy medications. Some made me incredibly sleepy and foggy. I saw a commercial for the brand Claritin. What caught my attention was the line “Claritin Clear.” The commercial shows a foggy view of the world. And after taking their product that foggy film is stripped away. That’s what I needed. What I didn’t realize at the time was not only were my allergies making my view of the world foggy but so was my lack of trust in God.
My friend and I were out for a walk and I was struck with the fact that she has taken God’s allergy medication. For one, three different devotionals she read that day pleaded the same action: Trust in the Lord with all you heart and all your mind and all your soul and lean not on your own understanding (Prov 3:5). I told her sometimes God whispers and sometimes He shouts and shakes us! Both are to get us to open our eyes and ears to the truth of our lives — to be God Clear. For another, she’s leaning into God’s grace of that medicine and surrendering.
But the work is not done. In fact the clearing of our eyes can be painful. Just like my twice weekly allergy shots (I hate shots), growth often starts with pain. If we stop because of the pain we can never fully achieve our greatest gifts from God. He wants so much for us — a life free of self doubt, self loathing, and turmoil. But we must first peel away the lies that Satan so readily whispers to us.
Where are you at in this process? Have you tried trusting God but it seems too scary, too painful? My friend a glorious, clear life awaits you. Trust in God’s holy medicine to bring you through the pain.
What lies are you fighting right now? Bold faith, trust in God, and knowing His love for you are the weapons against satan’s ever present lies.
1. “The One born of God keeps me safe — the evil one cannot harm me” 1 John 5:18
You are a child of God. A raging battle is going on in the spiritual world for your soul. Knowing that your father is fighting for you and trusting that all things are done for your good gives us strength. Many Christians have issues with the idea of satan. But as I discussed with a fellow Christian, the Bible does not shy away from satan. Jesus had a number of conversations with him. If you are going to accept the blessings from God you need to accept that satan is at work trying to keep those blessings from you.
2. “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jer 31:3
The only love that will never fade is the love God has for us. It never wavers, it never decreases. Even if your physical world is not filled with love, we can draw on God’s love to persevere. This is not an easy task. A mom in a struggling marriage, with children who always seem disappointed in her said, “I remember that God loves me but sometimes I just need someone to physically hold me.” Run to the arms of the father. Fully surrender that need to God. He will light the way.
3. “He has rescued me from the darkness and I have redemption and forgiveness of sins.” Col 1:13-14
When we accept Jesus as our savior we throw up the lifeline to rescue us. Notice the word is rescue. If someone doesn’t want to be rescued they can make sure they aren’t. Throw up your hand and grasp His. You will be pulled out of your darkness. I have a Christian friend who had been a drug addict and alcoholic for many years tell me she had a dream of being a fish and a hook dropped down from out of the blue. She bit at it and it hooked her mouth and yanked her out of the sea. The next day she knew she never wanted another drink again in her life. God speaks in so many ways to us, just reach out.
4. “We are God’s handiwork.” Eph 2:10
When women sit around talking you’ll frequently hear us complaining about one body part or another. “I’m too chubby.” “Ugh, my hair.” “I wish my lips were plumper.” But think about it — you are uniquely you. You were created out of tiny DNA pieces that became you! It pains me to see satan’s forces at work taking our little complaints and elevating them to destroying our self-esteem. And worse, convincing people they are a mistake and must chop off body parts or take dangerous drugs to limit natural growth. No matter your height, your hips, your lips, your tomboy nature, your kinky hair, you are you and you are God’s creation. We’d save a lot of money and angst if we accepted that every time we looked in the mirror.
5. “I call you friend.” John 15:15
Boy do I wish I had known this when I was younger. An intimate relationship with Jesus and the Father not only brings us so many blessings but brings joy to the Almighty. He longs for that friendship. He will never stab you in the back. He will never forsake you. He is with you at 7:00 a.m. when your feet hit the floor and at 2:00 p.m. when you find out you were laid off. He’s even with you at 3:00 a.m. when your bills are swirling in your head. Pick up your spiritual cell phone and give Him a call.
6. “And I know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Rom 8:28
I once heard a funny twist on “why do bad things happen to good people?” Instead, how about “why do good things happen to us bad people?” When we say “bad people” I’d bet most people think, “well, it’s not like I’ve killed someone or stolen a million dollars.” But a pastor asked, “Have you stolen anything at all? Have you ever taken God’s name in vain? Have you not been able to forgive someone? Have you ever coveted something?” In fact, there’s only one truly good person that something bad happened to — Jesus. And Jesus suffered on the cross so that our sins are forgiven. So with that in mind we must be thankful for the good stuff God sends our way and trust that any bad that we encounter God is working out a blessing for us somehow, someway in the end.
7. “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up others according to their needs.” Eph 4:29
Yes, yes, we know not to gossip and to be kind to others. But are you gossiping about yourself? Are you unkind to yourself? When we talk to our friends, family and strangers how much do we tear ourselves down with “I’m not good at xy or z.” Or again with the physical degradation of ourselves? That’s not to say we should be boasting. But remember, we ARE God’s creation. So speak in positives. Don’t give the devil a hand up on tearing yourself or other’s down.
8. “As God’s co-worker (fill in the blank).” 2Cor 6:1
We are in this together. The entire story of the planet is built on covenants WITH God. He could’ve just made the animals and plants and wiped his hands on his robes and said, “Looks pretty darn good. Time for a nap.” But no, He made us. He made everything else FOR us. So He expects us to work with Him to tend to the needs of this glorious place. That includes sharing with others His love for His creation.
9. “We have the mind of Christ.” 1Cor 2:16
How often have you finished a prayer with “In Jesus’ name, Amen”? Do you know what it means? It means that Jesus is standing beside you, writing shorthand as you pray. He then takes that prayer to the Father and speaks for you. But the responsibility of a mature Christian is to discern the mind of Christ while speaking that prayer. We know His values and have His desires for us in mind. When we have the mind of Christ we can pray boldly and act boldly because we know that we are aligned with the spirit of God.
10. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22
We can say we know God. We can know God loves us. We can see the blessings and be thankful. We can know the right things to do. But if we don’t go boldly and actually DO the Word of God can we really say we truly know God? We need to obey His Word and leave the consequences to Him. Surrender, trust and receive full blessings.
What has God asked you to do that, well to be honest, sounds a bit uncomfortable, odd, or just downright crazy?
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The Bible is a testament to ordinary people doing extraordinary acts in God’s name. Take Joshua for example. He had to tell his entire army to march around Jericho once a day for six days not speaking a word. On the last day at the sound of a trumpet they were all to shout. And then all the walls would fall down. Think of the work God had to do, not just in Joshua, but in all his priests, his army, and support staff. Without God, most people would’ve revolted. And then think what the Jericho army was witnessing. You would imagine by the second day they would’ve just killed all the Israelites as they marched around. But God was in control.
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I once heard a member of a Bible study group ask, “Why doesn’t God speak like that anymore?” My response was, “Maybe we just aren’t listening. More importantly we aren’t obeying.”
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What have you pulled back from on your Boldness List? You’re too (fill in the blank). Could it be that God has asked you to obey and you aren’t listening? Or you heard but just haven’t obeyed? Let’s take those steps of trust today and obey. Only then will we receive God’s full complement of gifts.
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