Motl Ministries

When the New Year is filled with the Old Year’s Petitions

2015-01-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

We’ve kicked off the New Year and for some of us the newness is still clean and bright. For some of us, the New Year came with last year’s “laundry” or maybe you’ve been carrying around some things you wish would have gone out with the old year for the past decade or so. If that is the case for you this morning, hopefully this woman’s story from Scripture will be an encouragement to you:

And Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came to Him and kept asking Him, saying, "Send her away, for she is shouting out after us." But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once. Matthew 15:21-28 NASB

I wonder how many of us out there have prayed for something and felt as if God was silent. I wonder how many of us have prayed until we felt that surely our constant request had become an annoying clamoring in God’s ears... because certainly we were exhausted with hearing this same prayer from our own lips and it felt like everyone around us was tired of hearing the same prayer too. But yet, the need continued to compel us to cry out for our Lord’s help. This story is for those of us who have gone through seasons where we felt like God’s work went “quiet.”

Notice in verse 23 that Jesus “did not answer her a word.” And the disciples were even sick of hearing this woman crying out for help. It seemed like Jesus was ignoring her! Then when He finally did give her attention, He appeared to be less than immediately sympathetic. Have you ever been tempted to feel like God was ignoring you or tempted to think that His response toward you was less than compassionate? Sometimes all the external circumstances make it seem as though God isn’t paying attention to our plight; or that perhaps, He doesn’t really even care all that much. But that couldn’t be further from the truth!

Jesus wasn’t ignoring her or lacking compassion toward her need. He was “setting the stage.” This woman who was an “outsider” to the Jewish faith displayed more belief than the very people who were supposed to have been ready and waiting for Jesus’ coming. In addition, her story prepared the way for the Gospel being preached to those outside the Jewish faith. She was a symbol and foreshadowing of the work God was planning to accomplish among the gentiles. And she was a great example of faith! Jesus’ response to her only allowed the rest of us to see her faith and humility clearly displayed. If He hadn’t responded to her the way He did, we wouldn’t be challenged and inspired by her heart for God.

Her story ought to bring us some encouragement for our prayer lives as well! Like the Canaanite woman we ought not give up, even when it feels like our prayers aren’t being heard! And in the midst of the seasons where we might be tempted to feel like God isn’t hearing or compassionate toward our need, we can to follow the kind of example of humility this woman displayed. She didn’t get angry at Jesus. She didn’t waiver in her faith. She cast herself completely at His feet and trusted Him.

By following her example, we can use her words for our own prayer pattern (the pattern we can use is in bold/underlined and the italicized phrases are her quotes from the passage):

Ask for mercy Have mercy on me
Worship the Lord for who He is O Lord, Son of David
Present your need my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed
Worship the Lord as you position your heart in humility But she came and began to bow down before Him saying, "Lord, help me!"
Be genuinely grateful for however He chooses to work, believing that even His crumbs are precious and sweet. "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

May 2015 be filled with break-through answers to prayer, but in the meantime, may the Lord strengthen your faith while you wait and make you a beautiful example of trusting Him.

Jacob Sojourned in Canaan - Audio/Video

2015-01-19T10:33:00.000-08:00

Jacob was a sojourner in the land of Canaan while his brother Esau moved away and founded his own country, Edom. Esau took a secular route in his life while Jacob was on a spiritual journey his brother could know nothing about. Christians are called to be sojourners, pilgrims in our times just like Jacob was in his. How can you know if you are a sojourner with Christ?

Watch below or listen here...

Crossroads and New Beginnings

2015-01-12T10:13:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! Blessings to you and yours as you step into this fresh New Year with all of God's new mercies!

The New Year, Crawling, and the Rest of Us

2015-01-07T08:21:00.001-08:00

Our little six month old is in the desperate and determined process of learning to crawl. He has been for some time now. About two months ago he would look at something he wanted and do this wild, frenetic Pilates type air swimming. Now that he’s done all that great core work, he’s stronger and can easily get up on all fours, do a full plank, crawl in circles and backwards, but he has yet to master the whole going forward thing. Which is incredibly frustrating to him. And I totally get it.

As the New Year rolls around and the blogosphere is filled with posts about achieving your goals it’s easy to survey your life and feel like you are just crawling around in circles or ooching backwards further and further.

I made my list of 2015 goals. Some of them were wise and reasonable... others, well, the verdict is still out. The year is young. As a new mom I’m still trying to get my groove down. (And as I write that, I internally brace for the mommy guilt comments of “why-aren’t-you-all-together-like-I-am” and then I slap myself around for letting those comments get to me and leak through into my writing... and if I keep letting you in on my internal dialogue it’s only going to get messier, so I better stop now!) And I feel like I’m crawling in circles and pushing backwards instead of forwards. But the Lord has pressed a new measuring stick into my hands for this season that, when I use it, frees me up from the rat-race of trying to achieve.

For this season, I feel like the Lord keeps reminding me that diligence is the goal, rather than check marks on a list. Proverbs 12:27 says, “But the precious possession of a man is diligence.” The precious possession of a mom is diligence. Not all her ducks in a row. But diligence is what is her precious possession. So I’m striving to be faithfully diligent.

I’m a pastor’s wife, mom, sister, daughter, friend, women’s ministry director, writer, homemaker, and on occasions now less common I’m a photographer and musician. And each part of me has a list a mile long of improvements and tasks to be busy about. There’s no way I can be “successful” in all these arenas in a day, a week, or a month. So the best I can be is diligent. And diligent makes room for all the crawling in circles and ooching backwards it takes to finally move forward.

May your 2015 be filled with much forward movement, but most of all with the freedom that comes from laying your head on the pillow each night and finding satisfaction that God graced you with the ability to be diligent yet another day.

Christmas Preparations

2014-12-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business." His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." John 2:13-18 NAS

It might seem like an odd passage to highlight during the Christmas season, but as we mine for gems from this section of Scripture, I think there is some treasure here for us.

When Jesus looked at His people and His Father’s house, He was deeply grieved because of the greed and worldliness that had come to define the way things were carried out in the temple. As Christians we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. So when God looks at us, the way we go about doing our daily chores, the way we seek holiness, the way we interact with others.... what does He see? Does He see His temple filled with the aroma of prayer and praise? Does He see the reflection of His own heart for the needy and lost? Or does He see greed and worldliness?

Christmas isn’t Jesus real birthdate, but it is the season that we stop and thank God for His incredible plan to save us and for the way He came to earth to live with us and die for us. So as the season of remembering our Savior’s birth, doesn’t it seem like we as individuals and corporately as the church ought to reflect His heart even more than normal?

When the world looks at the way we celebrate Jesus’ birth, do they see commercialism and money-changers? Or do they see sweet generosity and selfless giving? Do they see the humility with which Christ came to earth - wrapped in rags, born in a stable, with the first birth announcement going to low-class shepherds - in the way we reach out to people? As we prepare for the joyous celebrations of the season, may our Father in heaven and the world around us see the True Light of Christmas.

The Key to Handling Family Holiday Drama

2014-12-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

from the Motls and crosswalk.com

The calendar is closing in on the holidays and in our house, with this time of year, comes the writing of the annual family Christmas letter. Most years this task is a joy as I share God's handiwork in our lives with extended family and friends. But some years... well, some years I think that if I saw me sharing what life has been like on Oprah or one of those afternoon TV shows I'm not sure I would even believe me!

Sometimes life packs such a wallop of dramatic surprises that words don't even begin to describe it -- and truth be told, maybe words shouldn't even try! I cannot deny God's hand of blessing over our lives the past year, nor can I deny the reality that He has and is bringing us through some head-spinning whirlwinds.

I wonder what your Christmas letter looks like this year -- was it an easy year or a hang-on-for-dear-life kind of year? If you had a roller coaster kind of year, take heart you are not alone!

Adam and Eve effectively lost their two sons when Cain's jealousy baited him to kill his younger brother Abel. Jealousy reared it's ugly headed again in Jacob's family when the older brothers grew tired of baby brother Joseph and sold him into slavery and lied to cover their deed by telling Dad that poor Joe had been killed by wild animals. Moses married a woman of a different ethnicity and his two siblings pitched a public fit and tried to stir the people up against his leadership. Devastation and drama! And that is only the beginning of the Bible's list of family sagas. If family drama isn't enough for you, the Bible is chocked full of all kinds of other examples of relational issues, persecution, stress and tension.

Interestingly, in two out of three of the family drama accounts above, forgiveness played a key role in handling the family drama. And in all three accounts God handed justice out to the offending party.

When Cain killed Abel, God spoke with Cain before the fatal decision, guiding him to understand how to beat down the temptation within him (Genesis 4:7). Cain acted against God's counsel and took the life of his brother. God banished Cain and put some kind of mark on him so that others wouldn't decided to enact their own justice and kill him.

God elevated Joseph to a position of power second only to the Pharaoh and it was to Joseph that his brothers eventually bowed and pled for mercy. Joseph forgave his brothers (Genesis 50:19-21). He declared that he was in no place to enact judgement upon them and spoke kindly to them.

In Moses' family saga, Miriam bore the brunt of God's discipline (assuming that she was more the instigator behind the ruckus) and she turned leprous. Moses prayed and begged God to heal her and have mercy on her -- an expression of love and forgiveness.

Forgiveness is an emotional and spiritual healing process that happens between you and God. Reconciliation is a healing process that takes place between you and another person. Sometimes we are not able to have the reconciliation we would wish for, but we are always called to forgive. I define forgiveness with three "R" words.

Forgiveness is about Remembering!

We need to remember God's abundant grace and the forgiveness He has granted us in spite of our own sins. Think about how these verses point us to the truth that at the crux of forgiveness is a need to remember how we too are in need of God's grace and forgiveness- just like the person who offended us.

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.Ephesians 4:32 (NASB)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:9-10 (NASB)

Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you— for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others. Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 (NIV)

Forgiveness is about Recognizing!

We need to recognize our true identity in Christ! When we have been deeply wounded by someone, we often identify with the pain so much that it becomes part of who we are and eventually the defining factor of how we see ourselves. In Christ we have been called conquerors and victors -- not victims! This isn't easy -- none of this forgiveness stuff is -- but we won't ever be truly free from our hurts if we let them continue to define us. Your Creator is the only One who has a right to define who you are!

Zechariah 2:8 holds a visual image we should keep fresh in our minds: For thus says the LORD of hosts… for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye." (NASB)

The phrase "the apple of His eye" is a term of endearment. But the phrase literally means you are held so close to someone that you can see your own reflection in the pupil of their eye. God is holding you so near and dear to Himself that if you look up, you will see your reflection in His eyes! (This is the concept on which I based the Bible study My Reflection in His Eyes: Seeing Yourself as God Sees You). Look to God for your reflection and identity, not the stuff around you, sister! And know that God cares about even the little hurts that just "touch" you- you don't have to wait until your arm has figuratively been blown off before you can talk to your Abba about it. It matters to Him when someone even touches you, His daughter, His princess!

Forgiveness is about Resting in God's sovereignty and judgment.

At the end of the day, what's done is done. If I trust that my heavenly Father sovereignly sifted the pieces of my life through His loving hands, then I must come to the conclusion that He is ultimately able to use the pain for good.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NASB)

We can choose to rest in His ability to set things right. Easier said than done, but it will grant us peace -- something a wounded soul desperately needs!

The other aspect of His all-powerfullness that we should rest in is His ability to meet out perfect justice. Probably 90% of the junk that comes our way in life is stuff we wouldn't want to see God send lightening bolts down on the other person over -- we just wish they would knock off whatever it is they do that hurts us. I hate it when friends talk badly about me behind my back; I am hurt when people leave me out of stuff; and I am disappointed when people use me, but I would never in a million years wish to see God meet out some kind of judgment on them for it!

Yet, there are things in life that are deeply wrong and God wouldn't be a loving God if He didn't set a few things straight. He doesn't just turn a blind eye to women who are abandoned by their husbands, or children who are abused and their innocence robbed, etc. He is all-knowing, all-powerful and never sleeps -- so if there is something that needs to be done over the matter, we can rest assured that He is the right One for the job! Let Him meet out the judgment, rest in Him and then you can live out this next passage --

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. "But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21 (NASB)

When you let God handle the matter, you can rest in Him and be the gracious princess He called you to be!

One last thought about forgiveness. Miriam isn't mentioned all that much after her rebel-rousing against Moses. It seems as though she wasn't given the same place of leadership she had once enjoyed.

God calls us to forgive. But He doesn't require us to enter into some kind of crazy-making cycle where we give trust to people who haven't earned it. Sometimes we can reconcile differences and enjoy the same sweet fellowship as before the offense. Sometimes we forgive, but the person never earns back that place of trust. That is okay -- it doesn't usually feel okay, but it is. It is better to let go of expectations into the Father's tender care than to hang them over someone else's head and over your heart.

As the holidays approach and the stress of it all brings out the sometimes not-so-very best in us and our family members, consider how God might be calling you to forgive and to perhaps let go of a few expectations into His hands. Forgiving someone just might be the best present you give to yourself -- and after all, forgiveness was the whole point of Christ's birth!

Christmas: The How and Why - Audio/Video

2014-12-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

Join Pastor Eric for a Christmas message. Watch below...

Wishing for the "Perfect" Christmas

2014-12-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

From the Motls & Crosswalk.com

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... well, maybe, but one thing for certain is that this is the most busy time of the year! And for us gals, it can be pull-your-hair-out stressful!

I have often wondered how in the world we came to the conclusion that it was a good idea to bake, make gifts, wrap gifts, make little costumes for the Christmas play at church, decorate our homes, have lots of people over and somehow keep the house clean enough for all those activities. I mean wouldn't one of those extravaganzas be enough?

If it isn't the financial strain of gifts and entertaining, it is the time shortage to get "it all" done -- and many of us feel stretched way too thin across both arenas. We heap Herculean expectations on ourselves and wonder why we are so tired! If there is ever a season when the perfectionism bug eats away at women, it is during Christmastime!

Most of us out there might not verbally admit it, but don't we all want a "perfect" Christmas? A brief season of joy and celebration with family and friends (who are all getting along and liking each other for the moment). A time of fun with no worries for safety or financial hardship. A moment of order -- you know, "the stockings were hung by the chimney with care" kind of thing -- everything in its place, gleaming and bright. A spell of rest by a blazing fire when life feels like hot snicker doodles and cocoa with whip cream (calorie-free -- of course!).

Yes, we want a patch of "perfection" in the midst of our crazy lives -- and is that too much to dream for?

I imagine that Mary had those same thoughts that first "Christmas". She was about to become a mommy! And a mommy in a most mysterious fashion. She would mother the King of Kings, the long awaited Savior! Of course she wanted His birth to be "perfect" -- every new mother does. Yet, it wasn't "perfect" by any standards I would have dreamed.

We can surmise that the birth of Jesus was a stressful family ordeal. Even Mary's fiancé Joseph had at one point considered divorcing her and "putting her away." An angel met him in a dream and explained the situation -- but you can imagine the tension between Mary and her family. Perhaps her friends took issue with her pregnancy. We really don't know, but we can speculate at the responses of those around her. Yes, there might have been some relationship drama in Mary's life that first Christmas.

There was also difficulty in the world around Mary and Joseph that first Christmas. The government required that everyone pack up and travel to the city of their birth. It must have been "good times" being big and pregnant, road-tripping it on the back of a donkey! The world around them created less than "perfect" circumstances for that first Christmas.

Once Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem there was no room anywhere for them to sleep -- and Mary was in the throes of labor. With nowhere else to go, they stayed the night in a stable, surrounded with the stench of animals. No, this was not the way either one of them had imagined the birth of the long-awaited Savior.

Then there were the visitors! Angels brought the birth announcement to shepherds that night. The shepherds went quickly to see the wonder of God wrapped in humanity. I am pretty sure Mary hadn't expected strangers to pop by for a visit -- but there they were.

That first Christmas was full of surprises, many of them taking Mary and Joseph in directions they wouldn't have planned. And yet, to God it was all in His perfect plan!

Maybe, like Mary and Joseph, you have some family drama mixed in with your peppermint mochas. Perhaps in the midst of shopping and wrapping life is sending you on a journey you didn't expect. Or you feel the strain of our changing world and it threatens the ease of your financial and travel plans this Christmas. Perhaps you feel like there is no room for you at the inn and feel left out of the joys of the season to labor alone. Maybe you have unexpected people bursting into the moments you wanted to be private family time. Maybe, just maybe, it is all part of God's perfect plan!

Seeing God - Audio/Video Message

2014-12-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Is it possible to see God? Jesus said it was. However, we cannot see Him with the eyes of our heads; and we cannot see Him on our own terms. A pure heart is needed. How do we obtain a pure heart and a full life? This sermon may help some to answer these questions. Listen here or watch below...

Having a Merry Christmas in Your Marriage

2014-12-06T06:46:00.000-08:00

From the Motls & Crosswalk.com

It’s wild how the holidays can bring out such intense sides to our personality. Right after we gather around a table with family and friends to thank God for His blessings in our life, we gather to malls and store aisles to wrestle one-another like gladiators for deals. Our displays make the news and from one breath to the next we move from gratitude to greed. The hustle and bustle continues for another six weeks, stretching over Christmas and finally to New Year's. Yup. It’s a crazy time of year where, as a culture, we sacrifice to bless another one minute and indulge in almost every imaginable way the next.

In our marriages, the rush, the expectations, the schedule and the cookie induced sugar buzz can really make for some stressful—potentially explosive—situations.

You might feel like your spouse turned magically into Mr. or Mrs. Clause and has a mission to give presents to the entire known world. Or perhaps you feel like your honey turns into the Grinch for Christmas and zaps the joy out of the celebrations. Or maybe you feel like your wife turns into a real-life version of Frosty the snow-woman and has a melt-down at every holiday impasse. If this is anywhere near your Christmas family “traditions” then take heart; you aren’t alone! All families struggle with the extremes the celebrations bring out of and on us! Here’s a few tips to help you navigate the season:

1. Listen to each other. Whenever frustrations are bubbling near the surface, mentally slow-down and choose to engage in actively listening to one another. More often than not, the most frustrating part of a conflict is not that we see things differently, but that we feel un-heard and misunderstood. If she’s buying too many presents, listen to her heart and find out why. If he’s getting Grinchy, there is a reason. He hasn’t swallowed a magic potion and transported ya’ll to Whoville. Listen to each other and search out each other’s motivations and heart behind the issues.

Listening might actually help your spouse understand why they are doing certain things. One year at Christmas, I was pretty bent out of shape about a number of things. My sweet man listened to me recount the troubles of the day as I melted Frosty-the-snow-girl style into a puddle of woes. Then at the end of it all I said what was really bothering me—I missed my grandpa! My grandpa had passed away and it was the first Christmas without him. I was trying so hard not to let the grief swallow the happy things that I wasn’t letting myself see how much it was really bothering me. His listening provided a release and healing for me. So, go ahead and listen to your sweetheart!

This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. James 1:19-21NASB

2. Be a team. Commit to being more committed to your spouse than to your plans, expectations or Christmastime dreams. Nope. She might never make the pies the way your grandma did. Nope. He might never hang the lights the magical way your dad did growing up. It’s ok. You married a one-of-a-kind person who can only be who God made them to be! And all our Christmas wishes don’t hold a candle to the value of our spouse and our relationship with them. Choose to not allow disappointments to come between you. Don’t misplace your treasure by valuing plans over people and relationships—especially your relationship with God!

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 6:21KJV

3. Make a plan together. While we want to avoid putting plans above people, we can steer clear of unnecessary headaches by coming to an understanding and agreement about holiday plans. If he expects to go skiing for New Year’s, that will impact the Christmas budget. If she thought Christmas Eve dinner was at her parents this year, then it’s good to know before you tell your mom you are coming to her house! Sounds simple, but it’s so easy for the hustle and bustle to begin and before you know it, the calendar is full and no one knows how it got that way! Sit down and make a prioritized list of time and budget plans.

After you’ve made your plans, consider and pray about the best way to guard those plans. Especially during Christmastime, my man is the social secretary. If it were up to me, we’d never sleep between Thanksgiving and New Year’s with all that’d I’d try to cram in! I know a couple who purchases one of those money-gift-cards and puts an agreed-on amount on the card for the wife to spend on Christmas presents. When the card is empty, so’s the budget. No using the credit cards, no accidental debit overcharges! No more disagreements over the Christmas spending—yeah!

Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? Amos 3:3 NIV

4. Keep your focus. Christmas isn’t Jesus actual birthdate, but if we are going to celebrate it as His birthday, then HE should be the highest priority in how we budget our time, finances and Christmas activities. So practically, if Jesus is my celebration and priority, then it's more important that I reflect His love, joy and peace than that my house is spotless, that the cookies win awards, or that all my presents are wrapped to perfection. You know there’s even been years I told my family I was just going to have to give them some of their presents for New Year’s. Everyone lived through it! And I was able to keep Jesus more at the center of my focus than if I’d tried to accomplish the impossible. If any of your activities rob your daily devotion time, tempt you into anxiety or anger, or pull your heart away from Jesus then it’s safe to say those things need to get trimmed out of your life.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2 NAS

5. When disappointments come, look for the good, look for the redemption, look for God’s hand and practice letting go of the little things. At a ministry conference a pastor’s wife shared an insight I’ve been turning over and over in my mind. She reminded us that our relationship with Christ is built on redemption, that our marriage is built on the redemption of two people who hoped to see His redemption in the lives of others, and that our ministry will also be built on redemption. Our foundation of redemption, and our need for it, isn't a one-time thing. There will be many opportunities for redemption...which means we will fail, we will disappoint, we won't just need that redemption once and then proceed in some holy state of completion. Our redemption and sanctification is a process; to expect different will lead us to some crazy making beliefs about God and ourselves.

Disappointments come—whether they come to you or your pastor, are ministry related, or are in your family, marriage, career or calling, and it’s OK. We serve a big God and if all the rest of life is built on the redemption of our messiness, then our disappointments won’t kill us, ruin us or end us. They will simply become part of the bigger redemption story. If we won’t release small disappointments (like the potluck dish that spills all over the back seat or the family squabbles over who hosts Christmas), then how will we ever release the big disappointments to God’s redemptive hands? The Christmas season offers ample practice to release disappointments into God’s redemptive grip, doesn’t it?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NAS

May your marriage shine bright with the love, joy and peace that comes from knowing the One we truly celebrate!

The Thanksgiving List

2014-11-25T07:24:00.000-08:00

What are you thankful for this year? Well, we are thankful for you! Our readers have been such a blessing to us! As we've been navigating health issues, life changes, moving and a new baby we are so grateful that you share the journey with us! We hope and pray this Thanksgiving season finds you and yours healthy and joyful. The Lord's sweetest blessings on you and your family <3

Here's a few links from Thanksgiving past, the latest Thanksgiving post and a printable for you to enjoy:

The Flavors of Thanksgiving: Regardless of the season of life you find yourself in, God is honored by the thanks you bring to His table

Giving Thanks: Thoughts on the first Thanksgiving

A Sacrifice of Praise: God doesn't expect His children to be plastic or fake in the ways we thank Him through hard times

Thankful for... That? Finding gratitude for the things in your marriage you'd never expect you could be thankful for

Thanksgiving Printable

A Sacrifice of Praise

2014-11-25T06:56:00.001-08:00

From the Motls & crosswalk.com

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16 NIV

We all have stuff to be thankful for, but what do we do with the stuff that is just so hard to feel thankful about?

As Christians, I think most all of us have a sense that we are supposed to be joyful and thankful all the time, especially during the Thanksgiving season. But we all have corners of our life that bring us sorrow, disappointment, pain and even disillusionment.

Those are the facets of life that tug at our spirit of contentment and gratitude. Those issues can leave us feeling like we are lame Christians because we just don’t feel “happy” about them and if we let them, they can pull us into pits of despair.

The secret to a joyful, grateful heart isn’t that we feel “happy” or “good” about everything in our life. There are things that simply aren’t happy, no matter how we look at them. God doesn’t expect us to disconnect our minds from reality and live in some twilight zone of plastic happiness. Bad things are bad things. And they happen to godly people. God grieves over the brokenness in us and in our world. It isn’t wrong to grieve over them just as He does. The key to having a heart of gratitude amidst those difficult circumstances is being filled with an unshakable expectation that God will do something good with them, that He sits sovereign over every detail of life and that His character is good, perfect and loving.

When I look at those pieces of my life that look overwhelmingly difficult or disappointing and can thank God for whatever good He plans to bring out of them, I am offering a sacrifice of praise. When I can entrust what looks like something that is broken beyond repair to my heavenly Father’s goodness and love, I am offering a sacrifice of praise.

Hebrews says that a sacrifice of praise is the fruit of lips that confess the name of Christ. In the midst of my crisis, Christ name and character should be present in my testimony. I remember a woman who upon her cancer diagnosis stated: I wonder what good God is going to do with this?! In her turmoil her trust in God’s goodness and love shined through so beautifully!

How can we practically offer a sacrifice of praise and live out the words: And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased? Here’s some practical ideas for offering a sacrifice of praise to the Lord during this Thanksgiving season:

Are finances tight? Has your family experienced the loss of a job this year? Pray for the Lord to show you something you have to share and ask Him for direction for who might have need for this particular item. A dear friend and sister in a particularly tight financial season has a very generous heart. She was just telling me how learning to live so frugally she has to be careful with how she expresses her heart to be generous. She has been carefully saving up and praying for the Lord to show her how to use His provision to bless others. As I listened to her heart to give, I was so moved because it was truly out of her lack that she desired to share - a beautiful sacrifice of praise.

Are you a single parent who is struggling to care for the needs of your family? Is there perhaps a way that you might bless another single parent? If you are a single mom maybe offer to let a fellow mom at church drop her kids off with you so she can do some Christmas preparations? Or invite her over to your home to share Thanksgiving dinner? Pray about how God might be calling you to “do good and share with others” - the Lord knows how much of a sacrifice it is and He will be pleased!

Has your health been an issue for you? A woman at a previous church suffered greatly with migraines. She shared that on the days when she was trapped in the horrid walls of pain, she would do her best to focus on the others in the church who were hurting physically and emotionally and lift them before the Lord. She said she figured that when God allowed her to have those bad days, it was for a good reason and the best she could do with them was pray through her pain for the pain of others. I was so impressed with her attitude that on the days when I am down with health issues I try my best to do the same.

Whatever area of weakness or difficulty you have been struggled the most with, ask the Lord to show you how to see His goodness, faithfulness and sovereignty over all of it and then ask Him to show you how He might want to bless someone through your circumstance.

I, just like you, have a few natural gifts that God uses to bless others. And it is a joy to be part of God’s plan to bless someone. But the most profound thing to me is when I watch Him reach through the “holes”, the weaknesses or disappointments in my life, to bless others. I have watched the Lord use the areas of my biggest pain and disappointment to encourage people more than the neat and tidy stuff of my life. If we lift our lack to Him, with open hands for Him to do whatever He pleases with it, it will be a sacrifice of praise.

May God grant us the vision and grace that would enable us to praise His name and character in our hardships and give most generously from our lack - then we will be people who know the secret of having thankful hearts in every circumstance.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

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The Flavors of Thanksgiving

2014-11-25T06:39:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving is my husband’s favorite holiday. And yes, it’s because of the food! Early in our marriage he told me he’d just love it if I could learn to cook a really good Thanksgiving dinner and over the years, apparently I’ve stumbled on the secrets to scoring Thanksgiving food touchdowns for his scoreboard (considering the un-kitchen-fied way I came into adulthood, that is nothing short than a bonafide miracle!). But beyond the fresh herbs for the perfect stuffing, or my auntie’s recipe for cranberries, the Thanksgiving we observe in our heart comes in a variety of flavors as well.

Just like a really good Thanksgiving dinner usually involves a few different dishes from different friends and family members, the cornucopia of thanks we offer also usually involves a smorgasbord of perspectives. And while we might find one kind of thanks a little easier to swallow than another, God is honored by the array of different places our gratitude and praise come from; so no matter what season of life we find ourselves in this year, we have a beautiful gift of thanks to bring to the Lord’s table.

Untethered Thankful Joy

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20

This is probably what we think of most often when we consider thanksgiving--joy and gratitude for something that turned out “exceedingly, abundantly beyond all we could ask or imagine.” It’s the joy that comes from receiving our heart’s desire in ways that were completely delightful, surprising, and awe-inspiring. It brings tears of gratitude to our eyes, causes our knees to bend in thanks, and gives wings to our hearts.

Of all my experiences with this kind of soaring joy, the way the Lord knit my heart and my man’s together is probably the most constant and tangible place I have experienced this kind of gratitude. There’s a lot of life that has been filled with pain, but God has consistently brought sweet joy to my heart through my husband. My early life experiences has made the love the Lord has poured out through him a beautiful surprise.

Contextual Gratitude

Then there’s thankfulness that comes from seeing God’s hand work in a specific way amidst a circumstance and the outcome was completely not what you were originally wishing for, but God could see what was just around the bend and knew that giving you this instead of that (or removing this instead of that) would be just the blessing you needed for the right time and circumstance.

Like the way the Holy Spirit guided Paul through his missionary journeys chronicled in Acts, God sometimes shuts doors or opens them for us to bless His purposes in our lives. But along the path, it can be hard to see the good in the closed door. Yet, with eyes of faith we can watch the “doors” in our life with assurance and gratitude because God will open them in the right time or open a new one for us.

I’ve had much of this kind of gratitude in my life. God has blessed us abundantly by closing doors we wanted open because He was protecting us. He has allowed us to be sifted and refined so that we would be able to grow, learn, change, mature and then understand life in a new, needed, and blessed way.

Gratitude Plus

As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;

I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake. Psalm 17:15

There’s times when the sweet joy that comes from God’s hand is mixed in with a reminder that we aren’t home yet. I think sometimes God allows us to have beautiful happiness that carries with it a touch of something painful because the trouble reminds us not to set our eyes on the things of this world for our fulfillment. These moments remind us it is only when we awake in the Lord’s presence with His face before us that will find true and complete satisfaction.

This year two of my longest held prayer requests (and yes, they were Biblical requests and very near to God’s heart) were answered with a “No.” Because I am confident that God’s heart is to work in the ways I was praying, I sometimes wonder if perhaps He was willing to do the work, but the individuals involved were not. But mixed in with these closed doors, the Lord opened a door I had given up praying for; after almost a decade of infertility, God blessed us with a beautiful baby! His arrival came with complications that stretched us and as soon as we were finally home with our bundle, that second prayer request of ours was answered through the death of a loved one. Both the “Yes” and the “No-s” took my breath away. But in both of them we praised God. Because He is good and sovereign and because this world is not our home, but one day we will all be home together with Him in perfect, unfettered peace. He knows what He is doing even when I don’t understand. And there is thankfulness to be treasured in that.

Faith-filled Gratitude

Why are you in despair, O my soul?

And why have you become disturbed within me?

Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 42:11

Then there’s gratitude that comes from faith because the eyes of our heart are covered over with the pain of circumstance and we can’t see our Father’s face at the moment. We can’t see His eyes set carefully watching us, or feel His hands wrapped gently around us, because all we feel at the moment is pain. Sometimes we can’t distinguish the difference between the darkness of this world and the shadow of God’s wings where He is keeping us close to His heart because life is just too confusing and hard. There is still gratitude to be found, even in that place. He is still holding us. And with faith we can say we will yet praise Him.

Sacrificial Gratitude

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15

A sacrifice of praise is beautiful to our Father. The women at our church shared in a Thanksgiving praise and worship night last week. One of the main women involved in the event brought such a sacrifice of praise that I don’t even have words for the depth of emotion my heart felt for her. A very precious part of her life has come undone. And while I know she was raw with grief, she was there bringing us to the Father’s throne in worship.

God Alone Gratitude

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 118:11

This is perhaps the sweetest song of gratitude to God’s ears--when we are thankful because of who He is. When we are thankful because of God’s character rather than being thankful for just the “stuff,” I think that is precious territory in our spiritual journeying. Sometimes those seasons of sacrificial thanksgiving lead us into the places where we see how God is all we need when He is all we have.

Regardless of the kind of gratitude you are experiencing right now, whether or not your table is filled with family, friends and food, I pray your heart would be free and filled to give thanks to your Father in heaven this season and always.

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Jacob Cleanses His House - Audio/Video

2014-11-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Genesis 35:1 - 7

Jacob found it important to cleanse his household of pagan idolatry and ancient occultism. Followers of Jesus Christ ought to consider doing the same in our day. Without knowing it, many Christians have pagan items, with roots tied to the occult, right under their own roofs. Can these unclean items, detested by the Lord in His Temple, offer “doorways” to spiritual oppression within our households?

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Jacob Moves to Schechem - Audio/Video

2014-10-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

It’s Critical that God’s people practice acknowledging Him in all their ways daily. Often times the Law of Compromise sets in and we drift away from God’s will for our lives through a series of seemingly small, unnoticeable steps. These small steps can lead to huge dangers if not kept in check consistently.

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Beyond the Surface

2014-10-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers. Proverbs 6:16-19

Most of the time when we consider the things that might really displease God we think of murder, stealing, and stuff like that. While this passage from Proverbs does state that shedding innocent blood is something God hates, He also includes arrogance (haughty eyes), lying, thinking up mean or wicked plans, delighting in watching/knowing about something evil (or perhaps something we might just consider entertaining drama?), and being divisive.

It’s easy for us to be polished church goers, give our tithes, not swear, and bake 100 cookies for the bake sale every month, but we can still harbor stuff in our lives that God actually hates. I don’t want a piece of my heart to hold on to anything my Father would call hateful. Yikes!

When I was a teenager, the pastor’s wife at a church my family attended on and off stood up and did something I will always remember. It was the Women’s Christmas event and the church had hired a Christian theatre group for the evening. In the course of the play, the actors were making fun of some worldly behaviors and the plot took a turn she just wasn’t comfortable with. In front of thousands of women, I mean thousands of women who had paid well for these tickets, gotten all spruced up, brought their moms, sisters, and friends, she actually got up on stage and stopped the play. She told them as Christians we couldn’t sit back and laugh at things that people go to Hell for. I wasn’t there that night, so I don’t know all the details, but the ones I did hear left an important impression in my mind. This normally soft spoken woman stood up very strongly that night for purity of heart. I admired that. No feet (or in this case eyes looking for entertainment) rushing to evil on her watch!

A few years later, another pastor’s wife called out some of the women at the church for spending the annual women’s retreat gossiping and speaking inappropriately about private details of their marriages. There’s a time and place to share necessary parts of our marriages for the purpose of getting help, but then there’s instances when we are sharing details that should be considered sacred between a husband and wife. The gossip was divisive and the way the women had been speaking about their husbands was arrogantly disrespectful. And it was all too easy. These sorts of things can spill off our lips without us even thinking through what we are doing with astonishing ease. A friend recently lamented over her mom not liking women’s retreats and how she was even more disgruntled at the fact that my friend was bringing multiple sisters to the retreat with her. Her mom was of a different faith, so while I think that had a lot to do with it, she said retreats were nothing more than women getting together to gossip. My friend felt like she was being wrongly accused. And most likely women gossiping wasn’t the main reason she was having a hard time with her daughters attending a retreat. But I know I’ve seen plenty of women’s gatherings turn sour because of divisive conversation, gossip, and story sharing that grew into exaggerated lies, arrogance, etc. Don’t get me wrong. I love women’s ministry. I just love it enough to want and believe that our gatherings can and should have great impact for kingdom things, not the stuff that wounds or distracts.

We are wise to read verses like these and let them sink deeply into our hearts and minds like a two-edged sword that would rightly divide our thoughts and intentions. There might be some seriously detrimental stuff banging around in there and if we are honest and humble enough, we will let the Holy Spirit shine on those places and change us.

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Jacob Wrestles with God - Audio/Video

2014-10-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

Genesis 32:24 - 32

Jacob was a man who had been struggling with the people and circumstances surrounding him since the day he was born. It wasn’t until this amazing encounter with God Himself that he realized he’d really been struggling with God all that time. God desired brokenness in Jacob. It is here that Jacob finally comes to the end of himself. Do I wrestle with God sometimes like Jacob did?

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Finding Good Counsel

2014-10-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy. Proverbs 12:20

I’m a collector of what I call “litmus test” verses and this is one of them! I am so thankful for the people the Lord has graced my life with to send His counsel my way. But I’ve noticed lots of people like to offer lots of counsel--whether or not that counsel was requested! I’m still working on filtering the words I let into my heart, but this verse gives us one (among many) factors we ought to look for before we allow someone’s counsel into our life.

Counselors of peace have joy. It’s as simple as that. If the person offering their counsel doesn’t have peace in their life, or doesn’t have peace in the particular area of their life they are speaking about, I’d bet that their advice isn’t coming from a sanctified, God-directed place. I’ve let a lot of words take up way, I mean waaaaay, too much space in my heart that were from people who didn’t have joy or peace in their lives and quite frankly didn’t have my best interest or the desire to glorify God motivating their words. And those words I chose to let take root in my heart have been there way too long. We all have the counsel of other people clanging around in our minds. Our little selves can only hold so much. We are finite. And our finiteness means that the space we give to those words is space God’s word and His counsel can’t have. I want God’s counsel to flood my mind and heart. I want it to define my life and my choices. But much of the time I let other people’s counsel fill that space. I’ve particularly noticed that people often give counsel to others that is really meant to make the advice-giver feel better about a decision they made or make them feel important. If advice comes from a self-seeking place, I think it fails the peace and joy test. At least it seems to me that when I’m searching out my own validation I’m really lacking in joy and peace. When I’m in that kind of place, I pray God would put a guard over my mouth, and I’ve come to pray for Him to put a guard over my ears and my heart from counsel that comes from such places.

If we want to clear our lives of untrustworthy, deceitful counsel we have to be vigilant to make sure it doesn’t enter our minds. TV, magazines, and friendships ought to be filtered through the joy and peace test. Another great litmus test verse is found in Philippians:

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8 NIV

If the words rattling through the hallways of our minds don’t meet this criteria, then we’ve got to show those words their exit. If someone in your life filled your mind with critical words, ask the Lord to show you any truth in them, then chuck out the negativity. If someone shared a tidbit of gossipy drama with you, pray for the situation (and ask God for forgiveness if you participated in gossip) and then discard it. If TV shows fill your thoughts with ideas that don’t honor the beauty of marriage, ask the Lord to purge them from your mind and replace them with His perspective.

Whatever counsel fills your mind, may you only give heart-space to that which brings the joy and peace of the Lord.

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Jacob Meets Esau - Audio/Video

2014-10-13T00:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life seems to hit us left and right with one trouble after another. This was the case for Jacob. After finally getting out of the conflict with his uncle Laban, he enters right in to another potential one with his brother, Esau. If life ever gets this way for you here are some Biblical tips to get you through them in Christ.

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A Precious Possession

2014-10-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

The precious possession of a man is diligence. Proverbs 12:27

I’ve long loved this verse. As a girl with a lotta gumption, but not necessarily always the girl with the outcomes she imagined that gumption would get her, this verse is a comfort to my ever-trying soul. What is precious isn’t always the outcome, sometimes it’s just having diligence.

While our little one brewed in my belly, I prayed the Proverbs over him. This verse I took special delight in praying for him. As I lifted my request before the Father, I imagined all the ways he might need diligence as a young person. When he was born, he had life-threateningly low blood sugar, an irregular heartbeat and breathing pattern, and his temperature started to drop way too fast so he was unexpectedly whisked off to the NICU. They pumped him full of sugar via an IV to stabilize him and monitored him closely. The experience was more than a little scary even though we had been assured the condition was fixable and not permanent. Because his little system needed food fast they put him on formula immediately. After that, they gave me ten minutes every feeding period to try to nurse him. Ten minutes for us to figure this thing out just wasn’t cutting it. As soon as he got close to me, he’d fall asleep. (And a couple times I did too!) He liked to snuggle, but he wasn’t nursing. For a mama who prefers the au natural route (a lesser degree of importance to stabilizing his health, but still a factor in the ordeal), every necessary measure was one that made me cringe. I was grateful for the interventions, but lamented the fact that we needed them and how I knew they would impact things. Nursing would end up making both of us more than cringe. It was incredibly difficult post NICU. As I sat there with my little man who refused to nurse, hour after hour, day after day, week upon week, lactation consult after lactation consult, I prayed this verse over him, thinking, “I had no idea you’d need a diligent heart this early in the game!” And I prayed that verse for me too. Diligence eventually won out. Diligence and heaps of grace!

While this little story comes from my most recent personal experience, and I realize most of you aren’t in the same situation, there’s not a one of us that couldn’t use a dose of diligence for something in life. Could your marriage use a fresh wind of diligent attention? Maybe your finances need some diligence? Maybe that dream you feel God put in your heart could use a little more diligence? Maybe your child isn’t an infant learning to eat, but there’s an element to their life or your relationship with them that is disheartening. Pray diligence over them and over you. Pray diligence into your marriage, pray it over your finances, over your dreams. Pray it over any and every area of your life.

We don’t have guarantees over what fruit our labors bring. In fact, the last few years my resolve has been shaken as quite a few places of diligent, heart-work came back with nothing less than shattering results. But even as I look back over those efforts, I know they weren’t lost. God doesn’t waste anything. And I have the peace of mind that I tried and gave it my all. But if I hadn’t been diligent to the best of my ability, guilt and what-could-have-been questions might have owned me. Diligence is indeed a precious possession. It’s the key that unlocks emotional shackles so we aren’t possessed by all the what-ifs or if-onlys in life. May God grace you with His patient diligence for whatever faces you today.

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Jacob Separates from Laban - Audio

2014-10-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

Jacob came to a point where major boundaries needed to be set up between him and his controlling uncle. Boundary setting, whether it be spiritual or physical, is a required skill for any healthy, growing follower of Christ. So, how do I know if it’s time to put boundaries up between me and the people in my life in order to move on to personal growth and healthiness in Christ?

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Jacob Prospers - Audio

2014-10-01T05:47:00.003-07:00

Genesis 30:25-43

God prospers Jacob greatly in the face of many obstacles.

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Beautiful Feet

2014-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News of good things!”Romans 10:14-15

Anyone who calls on the Name of the Lord in faith, no matter who they are or what country they come from, will be saved. “For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘Whoever will call on the Name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:11-13).'”

But here’s the thing: they need someone to tell them. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17).” A person comes to Christ when someone with “beautiful feet” brings them the Good News of the Gospel and they believe what they hear. No matter what nationality, ethnicity, or dialect, anyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.

These messengers with “beautiful feet” are called “preachers” not because they’ve gone to seminary or hold a pastoral position at a local church. They are preachers because they are heralds of the Gospel. Every follower of Jesus is a preacher; every Christian is called and sent to be a herald of the Good News to this lost world.

You are that preacher. You are that herald. This task must not fall on full time clergy alone or it will fail. The whole Body of Christ must take part in proclaiming the Love of God to all peoples.

Are your feet beautiful? Are you a messenger of the Gospel to your co-workers, class mates, friends, family, neighbors or whoever you might run into throughout the day? How will they believe if they haven’t heard? And how will they here without a preacher? Who will lead them, if not you?

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Generous Wisdom

2014-09-10T23:17:00.001-07:00

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

This is a favorite passage of mine. And having just stepped into the adventure of mommy-hood, it’s a verse I’m relying on daily. No, scratch that. Moment by moment.

Speaking from this most recent experience, I’ve learned that wisdom for parenting is somewhat of a touchy issue. Every mom wants to do a good job, so I’ve noticed that when one mom manages certain parenting issues differently from another, it can stir up those moms’ insecurities and bring out some interesting sides to people. If, for example, one mom sleep trains and another doesn’t, since they both want to have made the best decision for their precious little one, they might get defensive toward one another.

As I’ve sought out mommy wisdom I’ve noticed this phenomenon. And when I’ve handled certain aspects of our son’s infancy differently than some of the moms around me, I got some interesting responses. Nothing wild or super negative. I just noticed how quick other moms were to pass commentary on our decisions without knowing our reasoning, or in some cases, that it was doctor directed. Finding a source of wisdom without reproach isn’t something to be taken for granted. And our Father graciously promises to be the source of generous and gracious wisdom.

Whether it’s wisdom for parenting, marriage, life decisions, financial issues, relationship navigation, or simply your daily schedule, God promises wisdom when we ask. In our information-saturated culture we have endless sources of “wisdom” we can turn to. And while we can pop open a parenting magazine, search a website for financial direction, or find a TV program with relationship advice, none of those sources of wisdom take into account each of our individual circumstances. My aunt (and a few other wonderful moms) have encouraged me to hold parenting philosophies loosely because there’s no other parent in the world just like me, or just like you. And no two children are exactly the same. So while we can learn great concepts for life from books and others more seasoned than us, ultimately the wisdom from Scripture and specific ways the Holy Spirit prompts us to apply those truths to our life is the only source of wisdom tailor-made for us.

It is a precious truth to rest our weary minds and hearts in to consider that the Lord will graciously, generously, and without the tiniest hint of reproach give us wisdom for our lives for whatever lies before us.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting “Wisdom Wednesdays” and journeying through Proverbs, the book of wisdom. I hope you will join us!

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Encouragement for Life's Trials

2014-08-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

We rejoice in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope. And hope does not disappoint…” Romans 5:3-5

Why does every Christian need tribulation? Tribulation sets off a spiritual chain reaction in the believers’ life that ultimately leads to heavenly focus. Without it there would be no need to look forward to heaven because this life would have everything we could ever want.

All of life’s afflictions, struggles, sufferings, anguishing, distresses, and troubles can be summed up in one Biblical word – tribulation. Tribulation ultimately means “pressure.” All of life’s pressures brought on by our struggles are our tribulation. Jesus told us that “In this world you will have tribulation (John 16:33).” So how does the chain reaction of tribulation work?

Without tribulation the believer would have no need for perseverance. Perseverance, which means “to stay under” our trials, or to keep going through them rather than giving up, would never be learned without life’s pressures. If we had no tribulation we’d have no need for perseverance because there would be nothing to persevere through. No tribulation requires no perseverance in Christ.

When a believer perseveres under the pressures of this life their character is inevitably proven genuine. Peter wrote, “If necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold…will be proven genuine (1 Peter 1:6-7).” It is persevering under the intense pressures of this life that makes the Christian stand out from the rest. It proves them followers of Jesus no matter what. They don’t move away from Him, but towards Him when life’s struggles come their way. Without tribulation our character would not be proven genuine. No tribulation requires no character in Christ.

Finally, the tribulations of this life which afford the believer unique opportunities to persevere, thus proving their character, results in hope. Hope is the glorious end of tribulation in this life. It is an anchor for the soul that keeps us grounded in Christ’s presence (Hebrews 6:19). Hope is an inward focus on the future promise of heaven. Conversely, the lack of hope is an outward focus on the things of this earth. Each believer needs a heavenly focus to survive life’s pressures (Colossians 3:1-4). Without tribulation the believer would have no need for hope and therefore no need for heaven. Earth would be enough for them. Tribulation forces the Christian out of this world and in to the next through hope. And this hope will not disappoint. No tribulation requires no hope in Christ.

If you are struggling in this life take heart. You have great reason to rejoice in Christ. Your pressures, whether they be physical, relational, emotion, physiological, or financial are opportunities to persevere. Your perseverance with prove your character genuine in Christ. Ultimately, your soul will find itself anchored in the presence of God which will lead to a glorious heavenly focus that could never be found without the spiritual chain reaction set off by life’s tribulations in Christ.