I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
-John 10:28
If you have children you probably have heard the word "mine" more than you care to admit. This is one of the first words that they learn. They take ownership of things (whether it actually belongs to them or not), and they refuse to let them go. Imagine a 2 year old with a toy. How easy is it to take it from them? You can take it, but you are sure to hear screams and cries. Many of us are like that toddler when it comes to our things -- our friends, our plans, or our way of doing things.
The problem with being the one who owns something is that you have to assume the full responsibility of it. You have to take care of it. You have to clean it. You have to keep up with it. It sounds great initially, but as time passes you realize that ownership is work. You realize that there are some things that you don't want to own anymore. Think about this spiritually. You may have had a plan for your life or career and realized that your plan wasn't really working or a plan for your friendships and realized that things have not gone the way you thought they would. Maybe these things were harder work than you thought or weren't even best for you.
If you walk with God long enough, you will see that His plan is better. His way is better. Actually, it is better if He owns it. See, when God owns something the responsibility is on Him. Yes, as a good steward, you do your part, but the weight of it is on His shoulders. He has a way of maintaining things that not like ours. He is not frazzled by day-to-day cares or concerns. When something belongs to God it is protected and covered. Look at John 10:28. Jesus basically says that once He has something no one can take it away. Whatever belongs to Him, is in His hand, is there to stay. So, why not put some things in His hands today. Take a moment and give your marriage to God. Tell Him that you trust Him with it -- the good, the bad, your spouse, yourself, your finances, intimacy, and children. Put every bit of it in His hands, and know that He will not let them slip out. He holds the future -- the world -- in His hands so your cares and concerns are not too much for Him. Give everything completely to Him and rest in His loving care. If He is holding your marriage, the enemy can not touch it!
Monday, August 28, 2017
Monday, August 21, 2017
Monday's Marriage Moment -- What's Blocking the SON?
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
-Hebrews 12:2
The solar eclipse that we experienced today was a truly phenomenal event. Actually, it was a historical event. Many grabbed their special glasses and headed outside for the once in a lifetime occurrence. Others held parties and took selfies to commemorate the occasion.
Though it is rare that the moon totally obstructs our view of the sun, it is much more frequent that we allow things to obstruct our view of THE SON. It is so easy to allow our schedules to fill and our time with our savior to empty. We cram our lives with events, activities, and gatherings. We spend our time watching tv, scrolling through social media, or talking/texting on our phones. We have more to do than we have time to do it. Some of the things that require our time are great. Others are not. Either way, if it consumes our time it can begin to obstruct our view.
Whether you know it or not, when our view is obstructed everything is affected. The same way that staring directly at a solar eclipse can cause physical damage, allowing things to obstruct our view of Christ can cause spiritual damage. It's hard to reflect the SON if you don't spend time with the SON. Where does this show up the most? in our marriages and our homes.
If your attitude towards your spouse has changed or has become more negative you may be suffering damage from a spiritual eclipse. If you have become less patient and loving, there may be things that are obstructing your view. If you are angry and discontent, you need more time in the Son.
Let's take more time in the weeks ahead to SON bathe. It will be well worth it.
-Hebrews 12:2
The solar eclipse that we experienced today was a truly phenomenal event. Actually, it was a historical event. Many grabbed their special glasses and headed outside for the once in a lifetime occurrence. Others held parties and took selfies to commemorate the occasion.
Though it is rare that the moon totally obstructs our view of the sun, it is much more frequent that we allow things to obstruct our view of THE SON. It is so easy to allow our schedules to fill and our time with our savior to empty. We cram our lives with events, activities, and gatherings. We spend our time watching tv, scrolling through social media, or talking/texting on our phones. We have more to do than we have time to do it. Some of the things that require our time are great. Others are not. Either way, if it consumes our time it can begin to obstruct our view.
Whether you know it or not, when our view is obstructed everything is affected. The same way that staring directly at a solar eclipse can cause physical damage, allowing things to obstruct our view of Christ can cause spiritual damage. It's hard to reflect the SON if you don't spend time with the SON. Where does this show up the most? in our marriages and our homes.
If your attitude towards your spouse has changed or has become more negative you may be suffering damage from a spiritual eclipse. If you have become less patient and loving, there may be things that are obstructing your view. If you are angry and discontent, you need more time in the Son.
Let's take more time in the weeks ahead to SON bathe. It will be well worth it.
Monday, August 14, 2017
Monday's Marriage Moment -- You Only Have One Job!
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
-Matthew 22: 37 - 40
I love looking at those "you only had one job" memes. Have you seen them? They show funny things like someone creating a Coke display under a Pepsi sign, or someone who paints the word school on a crosswalk and spells it "shcool". As funny as these picture are, today I am reminded how serious the one job we have as Christians is. God has given us this one job of loving -- loving him and loving others. It sounds so simple, but our world today makes it seem so hard. Over the past few months alone, I have seen people hurt those that they profess to love. I have seen dissolution of ministries in public and distasteful ways. I have seen abuse and intimidation from those who should love and cover. I have seen hate, anger, strife, abuse, and pride. Yet, we still only have one job.
God asks us -- no requires and expects us -- to love. He puts no stipulations or conditions on it. He says love Him and love others...period. It sounds so easy, but it certainly requires great faith and denial of self. I must love. You must love, and it can't be dependent upon what others do or don't do. That means we will have to accept some apologies that we will never receive, go the extra mile for those who may not do the same for us, and choose to give grace even when it is hard. Love covers. Love keeps. Love bears all things. Love believes the best.
There is no place that this love gets tested like it does at home. After all, the bible says that love begins at home and spreads abroad. We must forgive our spouses. We must treat them like we want to be treated. We must show kindness and grace. We must speak kindly to them and about them. We must love.
I pray this week that you make sure that you love not just in your words but in your actions as well. Take great steps of faith this week to extend peace and grace where there may have been anger and resentment. Sit in the presence of the God of love, and then allow His love to flow through you onto others.
-Matthew 22: 37 - 40
I love looking at those "you only had one job" memes. Have you seen them? They show funny things like someone creating a Coke display under a Pepsi sign, or someone who paints the word school on a crosswalk and spells it "shcool". As funny as these picture are, today I am reminded how serious the one job we have as Christians is. God has given us this one job of loving -- loving him and loving others. It sounds so simple, but our world today makes it seem so hard. Over the past few months alone, I have seen people hurt those that they profess to love. I have seen dissolution of ministries in public and distasteful ways. I have seen abuse and intimidation from those who should love and cover. I have seen hate, anger, strife, abuse, and pride. Yet, we still only have one job.
God asks us -- no requires and expects us -- to love. He puts no stipulations or conditions on it. He says love Him and love others...period. It sounds so easy, but it certainly requires great faith and denial of self. I must love. You must love, and it can't be dependent upon what others do or don't do. That means we will have to accept some apologies that we will never receive, go the extra mile for those who may not do the same for us, and choose to give grace even when it is hard. Love covers. Love keeps. Love bears all things. Love believes the best.
There is no place that this love gets tested like it does at home. After all, the bible says that love begins at home and spreads abroad. We must forgive our spouses. We must treat them like we want to be treated. We must show kindness and grace. We must speak kindly to them and about them. We must love.
I pray this week that you make sure that you love not just in your words but in your actions as well. Take great steps of faith this week to extend peace and grace where there may have been anger and resentment. Sit in the presence of the God of love, and then allow His love to flow through you onto others.
Monday, August 7, 2017
Monday's Marriage Moment -- Tear Down Those Idols!
Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon[a] and set it by Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon’s torso was left of it. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.
-1 Samuel 5:1 - 5
Life has not turned out like I planned. I didn't plan to have a total of 7 children. I didn't plan to be in ministry. I didn't plan to live in Durham, North Carolina. I didn't plan to go through some of the things that I went through in marriage or in life. I had a different plan when I was 18 years old-- when I was 25 years old. I had dreams of a white picket fence, 2 children (a boy and a girl, twins obviously), and being a housewife in the suburbs. Our butler, Jeeves, was going to serve us in a full tuxedo almost daily. Before you laugh hysterically at my naivete, maybe you should think back on your dreams. Did you have some plan in your head for how things would be? Some of you may have written those things on paper. Others of you may have just filed them in your minds. If we are not careful, those imaginations can become a checklist of requirements rather than wishful thinking. We begin to compare our real lives with the fictional one that we created in our heads. We compare our husbands with the husband that we want him to be in our head. It is no surprise that they don't measure up because the one we are comparing them to is not real!
Sometimes our image is not a fake one but who we feel like our husband 'used to be'. We reminisce and long for way back when and we miss out on the beauty of now. We hold them hostage to what was and we refuse to embrace what is. We spend our time wishing for the past and not enriching our future. I read one time that once when the Mona Lisa was stolen more people came to see the blank spot where she once was than had actually come to see the painting. These people traveled, spent large amounts of money, and sacrificed their time to see a blank wall -- an empty space. That is exactly what we are doing when we are staring at what once was. I hate to say it, but those imaginations and memories can become idols, and God stands in direct opposition to idols. We must tear them down. We must dethrone the perfect husband from our hearts and begin to be thankful for the real husband that we have. As we demolish the image we will begin to see the great qualities in our actual spouses. Stop staring at blank walls and fake images. See what you have right in front of you. Tear down any idols you have including what you planned and what used to be.
The only way idols fall is when they are presented with the truth and presence of God. That's what happened in our scripture today. The idol, Dagon, was found on the ground on its face in the presence of God. Submit your plans and expectations, your "I thought by now" and "I wish", to God and allow Him to take control. He has a great plan for your life that is far better than you could imagine.
I started this by saying that my life is different than I planned, but I need to elaborate as I close this message. My life is better than I planned. I have gone through some challenges, but I have a wonderful husband and amazing children by my side. I have seen God love me through John and our children and that is better than any image I could ever think about. I have the privilege of sharing the gospel with people often, and to see someone embrace the truth of God's word blesses me beyond my wildest dreams. I don't have Jeeves working at this point, but I get the privilege of serving this wonderful family God has trusted me with. I stopped looking at what I don't have. I stopped looking at my plan. I stopped looking at who John used to be, and I am embracing all the blessings God has given me. This is not the life I planned. It is better.
-1 Samuel 5:1 - 5
Life has not turned out like I planned. I didn't plan to have a total of 7 children. I didn't plan to be in ministry. I didn't plan to live in Durham, North Carolina. I didn't plan to go through some of the things that I went through in marriage or in life. I had a different plan when I was 18 years old-- when I was 25 years old. I had dreams of a white picket fence, 2 children (a boy and a girl, twins obviously), and being a housewife in the suburbs. Our butler, Jeeves, was going to serve us in a full tuxedo almost daily. Before you laugh hysterically at my naivete, maybe you should think back on your dreams. Did you have some plan in your head for how things would be? Some of you may have written those things on paper. Others of you may have just filed them in your minds. If we are not careful, those imaginations can become a checklist of requirements rather than wishful thinking. We begin to compare our real lives with the fictional one that we created in our heads. We compare our husbands with the husband that we want him to be in our head. It is no surprise that they don't measure up because the one we are comparing them to is not real!
Sometimes our image is not a fake one but who we feel like our husband 'used to be'. We reminisce and long for way back when and we miss out on the beauty of now. We hold them hostage to what was and we refuse to embrace what is. We spend our time wishing for the past and not enriching our future. I read one time that once when the Mona Lisa was stolen more people came to see the blank spot where she once was than had actually come to see the painting. These people traveled, spent large amounts of money, and sacrificed their time to see a blank wall -- an empty space. That is exactly what we are doing when we are staring at what once was. I hate to say it, but those imaginations and memories can become idols, and God stands in direct opposition to idols. We must tear them down. We must dethrone the perfect husband from our hearts and begin to be thankful for the real husband that we have. As we demolish the image we will begin to see the great qualities in our actual spouses. Stop staring at blank walls and fake images. See what you have right in front of you. Tear down any idols you have including what you planned and what used to be.
The only way idols fall is when they are presented with the truth and presence of God. That's what happened in our scripture today. The idol, Dagon, was found on the ground on its face in the presence of God. Submit your plans and expectations, your "I thought by now" and "I wish", to God and allow Him to take control. He has a great plan for your life that is far better than you could imagine.
I started this by saying that my life is different than I planned, but I need to elaborate as I close this message. My life is better than I planned. I have gone through some challenges, but I have a wonderful husband and amazing children by my side. I have seen God love me through John and our children and that is better than any image I could ever think about. I have the privilege of sharing the gospel with people often, and to see someone embrace the truth of God's word blesses me beyond my wildest dreams. I don't have Jeeves working at this point, but I get the privilege of serving this wonderful family God has trusted me with. I stopped looking at what I don't have. I stopped looking at my plan. I stopped looking at who John used to be, and I am embracing all the blessings God has given me. This is not the life I planned. It is better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)