No matter how packed your daily
planner is, here’s why you need
to find time with the Lord.
By Cheri Fuller
Like Martha in the Bible, I have lots to do—office
work, writing projects, laundry, cooking, cleaning.
Just this week, for instance, I had a deadline
to meet, my daughter-in-law was hospitalized,
and I cared for her baby. Add in meals to cook,
a household to run, a prayer group to lead, and
preparation for an overseas ministry trip. It’s a real
challenge to squeeze in time for prayer!
No matter how packed your daily planner is, here’s why
you need to find time with the Lord.
I used to think, If I don’t pray at a certain time of day,
then my prayers don’t really count. Then my prayer
life underwent a radical transformation. I discovered
the apostle Paul’s command to “pray continually” (1
Thessalonians 5:17) means more than just spending a lot
of time in prayer; it means sharing a continual dialogue
with God wherever I go.
The truth that God listens to my prayers wherever I
am didn’t sink in until my son, Chris, left to attend
a university 20 hours from home. Oh, how I missed
hearing his voice! Busy with premed classes, intramural
basketball, and studying, Chris didn’t call often. But once
in a while, the phone would ring, and it would be Chris.
I’d drop everything—the project I was working on, dinner
preparations—just to hear my son’s voice.
One day I realized God feels the same way about me, only
hundreds of times more, because I’m his child (John 1:12)!
Whether I’m walking, driving across town, or sending
a prayer heavenward from my computer, he delights in
hearing from me—not just once a day, but throughout the
day. Scripture says he “inclines his ear” and is “open to
hear” my prayers (Psalm 40:1; 34:15).
I became even more excited about the effects of praying
continuously when I noticed that throughout the Bible, God
used short prayers to accomplish great things—such as
raising the dead or parting the Red Sea. It dawned on me
that thoughts such as, But I can’t pray long enough, or If I
can’t pray one hour, then why pray? have no biblical basis.
It’s wonderful to have longer sessions of prayer when I
can, but remembering that my short prayers can have a big
impact encourages me to pray throughout the day.
Whether you’re married or single, with or without
children, you probably struggle with your prayer life
as I did with mine. The good news is, you don’t have to
put either life or prayer on hold. Here’s how to begin
building a 24/7 prayer life.
Get a Good Start
For me, a life of continuous prayer now starts even
before I lift my head off the pillow. I say, “Lord, this is
the day you’ve made; help me focus on you in the midst
of all I’ve got to do.”
I read God’s Word before the demands of the day flood
in, because Scripture never fails to draw me into prayer
and praise. Praying things such as “Lord, help me to
trust in you with all my heart and not lean on my own
understanding” (from Proverbs 3:5–6), or “Thank you,
Father, that you are compassionate and gracious, slow
to anger and abounding in love” (from Psalm 103:8),
helps me zero in on the Mountain-Mover instead of the
mountains I may be facing. And most days I pray these
and other prayers for my family and friends during my
morning walk.
My friend Betsy also starts her day with prayer and
exercise. Betsy—who’s active in her church’s women’s
ministry, leads a neighborhood Bible study, and serves
on various committees and boards—still finds time to
pray faithfully for many people and concerns while
walking 30 minutes on her treadmill. For example,
Betsy prayed for me to experience energy and strength
while I spoke at her church’s retreat—and I did! I know
that Betsy’s “treadmill prayers” are effective because
I’ve personally experienced God’s answers to them.
Clue into Visual Reminders
I use the things around me as visual cues to prompt
me to pray. For example, as I pass the windows of
neighbors’ houses on my morning walk, I pray, “God, let
your light shine in; bless them and draw them closer
so they’ll know you.” As I shower after walking, I pray,
“Lord, please create in me a clean heart and renew a
right spirit within me; cleanse my heart of sin” (from
Psalm 51:10). When I drive past a school and see a
school-zone sign, I make the area a “prayer zone” by
asking God to protect the students and to give all the
teachers wisdom.
Later, as I bake bread or cook a meal, I’m reminded
to pray that Christ would be the Bread of Life for the
person receiving it. Picking up a loved one’s shoes
triggers me to pray that his feet will stay on God’s path.
Seeing something lovely—a mallard duck flying through
the sky or fresh blooms on a rose bush—reminds me to
say a prayer of thanks to God for his creation.
My friend Peggy also likes using visual cues. When she
puts on her seat belt before heading to the high school to
substitute teach, she says, “Lord, I want to abide in you
and be yoked with you.” When she stops at a stop sign,
she takes a deep breath and says, “My rest is in you
alone, Lord. I may be trying to get somewhere, but thank
you that you are preparing the way.”
With visual cues to prompt us, all our daily activities—
gardening, cleaning, working, or creating—become
springboards to conversation with God.
Use Tools to Stay Focused
It’s easy for my mind to wander during prayer. One
way I counteract this is by using the acronym B-L-ES-
S as I pray for my family and friends. Each letter in
the acronym stands for a key area of life: Body, Labor,
Emotional, Social, and Spiritual.
For example, for our son, Chris, who’s now a Navy
doctor, I prayed today: “Lord, bless Chris’s body;
strengthen and protect him during his deployment.
Bless Chris’s labor; give him wisdom as he cares for
the Marines’ medical needs and injuries. Bless Chris’s
emotional life; help him trust you concerning his and
his wife Maggie’s move to Hawaii. Father, bless Chris’s
social relationships; bring him a Christian friend on
the ship while he’s deployed. And bless Chris’s spiritual
life; help him draw near to you and your Word more
each day.”
Dena, a busy mother of four, always felt guilty about
not praying more often. She needed a way to focus her
attention during the snippets of time she found herself
alone. So one day she wrote down every prayer request
she could think of—for herself, family, friends, church,
community, nation, and world. Then she divided them
into 31 equal segments and put them in a notebook.
She keeps the notebook in her bathroom, one of the
only places she has a few minutes alone. Each day she
prays over the few items that correspond to the day of
the month. Dena’s notebook helps her focus on each of
the many needs in her world—one day, one minute at a
time.
Pray on the Spot
With all I’ve got going on, I don’t want to forget to pray
for others’ struggles. So instead of saving those prayers
for a special prayer time, I pray right on the spot. If a
friend asks me to pray for a specific need, I offer to pray
with her right then. If a speeding ambulance passes me
while I’m driving, I immediately pray for the people in it
and for the doctors who’ll care for the injured people at
the hospital.
Connie, a busy mom, Bible teacher, and Christian
psychotherapist, finds time to pray for the many people
she sees each day by praying on the spot, too. At the end
of each counseling session, Connie takes a few moments
to pray with her client. She then pauses to ask God that
he would give her wisdom and discernment to help the
next patient before he or she arrives (Psalm 119:66).
Connie also prays the same prayer for the patients she
sees heading into nearby medical offices.
“Even in the midst of my busy days, God gives me ‘minimoments’
to lift those around me in prayer,” says Connie.
“Everyone we come in contact with daily is struggling
with something. It may be their job, their marriage, an
illness, or stress. Everyone needs our prayers.”
I’m still a Martha by nature, but I’ve found praying
continually isn’t just another duty or heavy burden to bear.
Prayer is how I know God, not just know about him; it’s
how I hear God, not just hear about him. Time after time,
when I pour out my burdens, concerns, and problems, I
experience his peace and hope. I see his faithfulness more
clearly. I experience his comfort in trials, his unfailing
love as I see him provide for needs about which I’ve
prayed.
E.M. Bounds, a 19th-century pastor, said, “Your
prayers will outlive your life.” Long after my address
has changed to heaven, the short prayers I’ve said
while rocking a feverish baby, working on the
computer, or moving throughout my day, still will be a
blessing to those for whom I’ve prayed.
Reflect
Paul’s command to “pray continuously” seems
impossible in our busy lives. How might you make
this a reality in your life?
Which of the author’s suggestions resonate most with
you? Why?
Monday, May 17, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Parenting - The Early Years: New MOPS Summer Bible Study
Hi MOPS Moms!
I am so excited that summer is just around the corner! I have felt led to begin a summer MOPS Bible Study. I'm planning on doing it 2 Wednesday evenings per month at 7p.m. through the summer. We will meet most likely at the church but maybe at someone's home...details to follow on that. Childcare will not be available. Tentative start date is June 2nd.
I have selected a Bible Study called "Parenting - The Early Years," by Les and Leslie Parrott. There are DVDs that will kick off each evening we spend together and inspire our conversation and study together. Here is a link to preview the study:
Parenting - The Early Years Kit with Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott : Adult Small Groups at Bluefish TV
Please email me if you are interested in joining me in this study. I will also pass out a sign-up sheet at Friday's MOPS meeting as well.
I am so excited that summer is just around the corner! I have felt led to begin a summer MOPS Bible Study. I'm planning on doing it 2 Wednesday evenings per month at 7p.m. through the summer. We will meet most likely at the church but maybe at someone's home...details to follow on that. Childcare will not be available. Tentative start date is June 2nd.
I have selected a Bible Study called "Parenting - The Early Years," by Les and Leslie Parrott. There are DVDs that will kick off each evening we spend together and inspire our conversation and study together. Here is a link to preview the study:
Parenting - The Early Years Kit with Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott : Adult Small Groups at Bluefish TV
Please email me if you are interested in joining me in this study. I will also pass out a sign-up sheet at Friday's MOPS meeting as well.
Friday, May 7, 2010
***Exciting announcement***
Hey ladies, I bring you this very exciting and news-worthy announcement to brighten your beautiful spring day! Next year for MOPS 2010-2011 we will have 2 mentor moms!!! Mary Erhard has agreed to join Cathy Pound in mentoring our MOPS group! I am so thrilled that the Lord has prepared her schedule to come along side all of us. I am taking this entry from her blog http://wisewomenofgodsword.blogspot.com. Also, there is a link for her blog off to the side on the MAP blog page if you'd like to check it out! If you want to email Mary to let her know you're excited to have her join us, you can post a comment on her blog or you can email her at mherhard@windstream.net. Enjoy her post!
What to do when you don't know what to do...
I always pick a scripture for each member of my family, including myself, at the beginning of the new year. I then make a laminated prayer card with a picture of each member and their scripture so that I can pray for them regularly. This year, the scripture that I picked for myself is:
"Wait for the Lord, and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land." ~Ps. 37:34
I love this verse for me at this point in my life, because I am one of those persons who feels validated by accomplishing things that are measurable, and right now, that is just not happening. At least in the way of Christian Service and Ministry. Notice that I capitalized those words, mainly because in my mind, and in the minds of many others, those words define ways that we serve the Lord that are obvious, and as I said already, measurable. As in:
~Today I had a prayer team meeting and we were able to set lots of goals for the year.
~Today I helped to serve dinner at Water's Edge Outreach to lots of hungry boys and girls.
~Today I taught a Bible study to many women who are eager to learn from God's Word.
Am I being clear here about what I mean as far as serving the Lord by wearing lots of hats in Christian Service and Ministry? I love those labels such as "Prayer Team Leader" or "Director of College Ministries" or "Titus 2 Women's Ministry Leader". The reason I love them is because they give me a real sense of what I am accomplishing and I can check off of my "to do for the Lord" list any number of things that look substantive.
The only problem is, there are times in my life (and yours) when I am not able for any number of reasons to rack up points in the "Service for the Lord" column in those ways. And when that happens, I struggle with a sense of worth and value in my own eyes, although I know that isn't right. At this point in time, I feel strongly that the Lord is urging me to stay in a quiet place of availability for those who might need me, primarily family and friends, for any number of reasons. To avoid getting involved in anything that requires my time and attention on a scheduled basis so that I am free to help out wherever I'm needed. Also, free to take more time in sitting at His feet (which I'm having a hard time doing, because I am a DO-ER, not a SITTER), and praying, and meditating.
I went for several months trying to figure out what I should be doing in the way of ministry since I had experienced a change in my circumstances that had closed several doors. Rather than jump into the first, or second, or even third thing that came along, I decided to just wait and pray and see what the Lord might want me to do for Him, rather than me telling Him what I ought to be doing. I claimed that verse from the Psalms, and am feeling better all the time about having waited rather than jumping into any number of things with both feet. A Christian Service and Ministry opportunity just arose recently with the local MOPS group that I am very excited about, and I am so glad that I am able to say yes because I have the time available to do so.
So when you're not sure what you should be doing to serve the Lord, remember that every part of your life can be a service to Him. Folding laundry, writing notes of encouragement to someone who might need it, ironing shirts for your husband, playing in the park with your kids, sitting at the Lord's feet in prayer or just in listening mode, all these are things that are sacrifices of love that the Lord receives as an offering poured out before Him. Just wait, and He will open the doors. If you open them yourself and get ahead of Him, you just might run into some brick walls, and that's a lot more painful than sitting and waiting.
What to do when you don't know what to do...
I always pick a scripture for each member of my family, including myself, at the beginning of the new year. I then make a laminated prayer card with a picture of each member and their scripture so that I can pray for them regularly. This year, the scripture that I picked for myself is:
"Wait for the Lord, and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land." ~Ps. 37:34
I love this verse for me at this point in my life, because I am one of those persons who feels validated by accomplishing things that are measurable, and right now, that is just not happening. At least in the way of Christian Service and Ministry. Notice that I capitalized those words, mainly because in my mind, and in the minds of many others, those words define ways that we serve the Lord that are obvious, and as I said already, measurable. As in:
~Today I had a prayer team meeting and we were able to set lots of goals for the year.
~Today I helped to serve dinner at Water's Edge Outreach to lots of hungry boys and girls.
~Today I taught a Bible study to many women who are eager to learn from God's Word.
Am I being clear here about what I mean as far as serving the Lord by wearing lots of hats in Christian Service and Ministry? I love those labels such as "Prayer Team Leader" or "Director of College Ministries" or "Titus 2 Women's Ministry Leader". The reason I love them is because they give me a real sense of what I am accomplishing and I can check off of my "to do for the Lord" list any number of things that look substantive.
The only problem is, there are times in my life (and yours) when I am not able for any number of reasons to rack up points in the "Service for the Lord" column in those ways. And when that happens, I struggle with a sense of worth and value in my own eyes, although I know that isn't right. At this point in time, I feel strongly that the Lord is urging me to stay in a quiet place of availability for those who might need me, primarily family and friends, for any number of reasons. To avoid getting involved in anything that requires my time and attention on a scheduled basis so that I am free to help out wherever I'm needed. Also, free to take more time in sitting at His feet (which I'm having a hard time doing, because I am a DO-ER, not a SITTER), and praying, and meditating.
I went for several months trying to figure out what I should be doing in the way of ministry since I had experienced a change in my circumstances that had closed several doors. Rather than jump into the first, or second, or even third thing that came along, I decided to just wait and pray and see what the Lord might want me to do for Him, rather than me telling Him what I ought to be doing. I claimed that verse from the Psalms, and am feeling better all the time about having waited rather than jumping into any number of things with both feet. A Christian Service and Ministry opportunity just arose recently with the local MOPS group that I am very excited about, and I am so glad that I am able to say yes because I have the time available to do so.
So when you're not sure what you should be doing to serve the Lord, remember that every part of your life can be a service to Him. Folding laundry, writing notes of encouragement to someone who might need it, ironing shirts for your husband, playing in the park with your kids, sitting at the Lord's feet in prayer or just in listening mode, all these are things that are sacrifices of love that the Lord receives as an offering poured out before Him. Just wait, and He will open the doors. If you open them yourself and get ahead of Him, you just might run into some brick walls, and that's a lot more painful than sitting and waiting.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Burn out
I came across this passage in my women's Bible last week...and it spoke to me. I am at that point in the year where I just want all schedules and commitments to cease. I'm ready to embrace summer and all it's long, unstructured days ahead. Here's the devotion:
"Feeling burnt out, disillusioned, exhausted or lonely? At some point on the road of life we all hit "empty." When it happens to you, it's time to pray Paul's prayer - and expect God to answer it.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ask God to strengthen your inner self - because only Christ can fill the emptiness in your heart. Ask God to help you grasp a measure of his immeasurable love your you - experience it your self so that you may be filled with the fullness of God. His unfathomable love is always the renewing antivote for burnout. It may take time, but God will answer."
"Feeling burnt out, disillusioned, exhausted or lonely? At some point on the road of life we all hit "empty." When it happens to you, it's time to pray Paul's prayer - and expect God to answer it.
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ask God to strengthen your inner self - because only Christ can fill the emptiness in your heart. Ask God to help you grasp a measure of his immeasurable love your you - experience it your self so that you may be filled with the fullness of God. His unfathomable love is always the renewing antivote for burnout. It may take time, but God will answer."
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Attitude is a chioce
"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:24
I want to challenge you to take a 24-hour break from a negative, joy-robbing attitude! Think about an attitude, or situation, that is robbing you of joy and interrupting your thoughts. It may be a particular worry about a person or situation. It may be critical thinking or a gloomy outlook.
When you push the attitude out of your mind, replace it with the verse above. Say it aloud to yourself. Do whatever you need to to focus on God and His love, rather than the situation that has caused your attitude to be negative. Ask for God's help in this. He will guide you and give you the persistence you need in this endeavor.
Being positive involves more than what we think about. For the Christian a positive attitude encompasses our whole being. we become positive by listening to God, obediently following His directions, continually worshipping Him, and seeking His guidance.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, 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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9
Prepare
What is God revealing to you about becoming a more positive person today?
I want to challenge you to take a 24-hour break from a negative, joy-robbing attitude! Think about an attitude, or situation, that is robbing you of joy and interrupting your thoughts. It may be a particular worry about a person or situation. It may be critical thinking or a gloomy outlook.
When you push the attitude out of your mind, replace it with the verse above. Say it aloud to yourself. Do whatever you need to to focus on God and His love, rather than the situation that has caused your attitude to be negative. Ask for God's help in this. He will guide you and give you the persistence you need in this endeavor.
Being positive involves more than what we think about. For the Christian a positive attitude encompasses our whole being. we become positive by listening to God, obediently following His directions, continually worshipping Him, and seeking His guidance.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, 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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9
Prepare
What is God revealing to you about becoming a more positive person today?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Change
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38
These are Mary, the mother of Jesus', comments after the angel of the Lord visited her and told her of God's plan for her to be the mother of our Savior. When God's plans were revealed to her, Mary's plans for her future suddenly vanished before her eyes. Whatever she had envisioned for her life it would now be totally different. She had no way of knowing what this would be like for her. Did she argue with God? Did she sulk about the lack of control she had in the situation? Did she try and cling to her own plans? No. Mary humbly accepted what God had in store for her life because she knew her life belonged to God. She saw herself as God's servant. She was able to say to God, I surrender my plan for my life, and I willing accept your plan.
Prepare
Do you see yourself as God's servant? How do you respond to changes God brings to the plans you have for your life?
These are Mary, the mother of Jesus', comments after the angel of the Lord visited her and told her of God's plan for her to be the mother of our Savior. When God's plans were revealed to her, Mary's plans for her future suddenly vanished before her eyes. Whatever she had envisioned for her life it would now be totally different. She had no way of knowing what this would be like for her. Did she argue with God? Did she sulk about the lack of control she had in the situation? Did she try and cling to her own plans? No. Mary humbly accepted what God had in store for her life because she knew her life belonged to God. She saw herself as God's servant. She was able to say to God, I surrender my plan for my life, and I willing accept your plan.
Prepare
Do you see yourself as God's servant? How do you respond to changes God brings to the plans you have for your life?
Friday, April 16, 2010
Jesus' Teaching on Prayer
"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray, say:
'Father,[a]
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.'
...
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Luke 11:1-4, 9-13
I read this excerpt from my study bible about this passage: Prayer isn't like giving "the Santa Claus in the sky" a wish list of what you want because you've been good. And, it's not rubbing the bottle, forcing the genie to grant you 3 wishes because he's obligated. Instead, prayer is the humble recognition of your own lack and God's great ability to supply. It's the respectful, persistent pouring out of your heart's desires to the only one who can change or fulfill them. It's your expression of your longing to commune with God. Perhaps your first prayer request needs to be, "Lord, teach me to pray."
Have you ever used the Lord's prayer as a way of shaping your own prayers? I have found it a very powerful way to model my prayer for the day, following His example. If you journal when you pray it can be an excellent tool to follow, putting the prayer into your own words as you write. Try it!
If I'm being totally honest, which can be hard to be transparent and admit my lack of faith sometimes, vs. 9-10 are very hard for me. There was a time, following a tragedy in my life that I just couldn't even believe these words were in the Bible. To me it was saying that if I asked - I would receive what I asked for. So...in light of what had happened, loosing my baby after praying so hard and so much to not loose her, then God wasn't living up to this promise in scripture. But, what I have realized now is that I wasn't reading it correctly. When I now read it more carefully, it says "For everyone who asks receives" - it doesn't say what they receive. It doesn't say that they receive what they ask for OR when they ask for it. It does say that we can seek God and He will reveal Himself to us, and we will begin to know more of Him. He will meet us where we are when we seek Him, and He will open the door for a deeper relationship with Him.
Have you struggled with an understanding of prayer and viewing God as a "wish list granter" in your life? I challenge you to examine your prayer life and model your prayers after Jesus' words today.
He said to them, "When you pray, say:
'Father,[a]
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.'
...
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Luke 11:1-4, 9-13
I read this excerpt from my study bible about this passage: Prayer isn't like giving "the Santa Claus in the sky" a wish list of what you want because you've been good. And, it's not rubbing the bottle, forcing the genie to grant you 3 wishes because he's obligated. Instead, prayer is the humble recognition of your own lack and God's great ability to supply. It's the respectful, persistent pouring out of your heart's desires to the only one who can change or fulfill them. It's your expression of your longing to commune with God. Perhaps your first prayer request needs to be, "Lord, teach me to pray."
Have you ever used the Lord's prayer as a way of shaping your own prayers? I have found it a very powerful way to model my prayer for the day, following His example. If you journal when you pray it can be an excellent tool to follow, putting the prayer into your own words as you write. Try it!
If I'm being totally honest, which can be hard to be transparent and admit my lack of faith sometimes, vs. 9-10 are very hard for me. There was a time, following a tragedy in my life that I just couldn't even believe these words were in the Bible. To me it was saying that if I asked - I would receive what I asked for. So...in light of what had happened, loosing my baby after praying so hard and so much to not loose her, then God wasn't living up to this promise in scripture. But, what I have realized now is that I wasn't reading it correctly. When I now read it more carefully, it says "For everyone who asks receives" - it doesn't say what they receive. It doesn't say that they receive what they ask for OR when they ask for it. It does say that we can seek God and He will reveal Himself to us, and we will begin to know more of Him. He will meet us where we are when we seek Him, and He will open the door for a deeper relationship with Him.
Have you struggled with an understanding of prayer and viewing God as a "wish list granter" in your life? I challenge you to examine your prayer life and model your prayers after Jesus' words today.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
How to Follow Forgiveness Instead of Our Emotions
by Joyce Meyer
How do you respond when someone hurts your feelings? Do you let it rob you of joy? Or maybe your emotions run wild?
Luke 6:27,28 NIV tells us what we should do when people hurt us:
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Can you believe that? We’re to pray something like, “Oh, Lord, I pray that You’d just make them so happy!”
I still don’t get that, but I’m willing to do it in obedience and say, “Lord, I don’t know that I really want them to be happy, but I’ll pray that in faith anyway, because You’re telling me to bless them with Your presence.”
Luke 6:35 NIV goes further. It says:
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
A Tip for Following Forgiveness
Now, let’s get practical about how to do this. If we have a coworker who gets the promotion that we’ve been believing God for, the minute we start to feel jealousy and envy, we need to go buy them a gift.
Yes, you heard me right: buy them a gift. It works. When we do it, it breaks the power of the devil because Romans 12:21 says that we overcome evil with good. It’s absolutely true too. I have learned this principle and it has been life-changing for me.
What I Did When Someone Hurt Me
For example, a few years ago someone told me about a person who was doing business with our ministry and making a good deal of money because of their relationship with us. My friend happened to be at the same restaurant, seated in the next booth and overheard their conversation, which just happened to be about me—and they weren’t saying good things either.
At first I got mad and just wanted to tell him that he was never getting our business again.
But in bed that night, the Holy Spirit said to me, “You’re not going to do any of those things.” He said, “No, you’re going to do what you teach. You’re going to go buy him a present, and you’re going to tell him how much you appreciate the services that he’s given you all these years.”
Needless to say, I resisted at first. But eventually I relented and bought him a gift.
What You Must Do When Someone Hurts You
What I remember most about the situation is that as soon as I started taking action to do something good for them, it just got so funny to me. I was laughing out loud in my house, all by myself.
Listen: When we can look at people who’ve hurt us with compassion and pray what Jesus prayed “…Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” there’s a party that goes on inside of us.
I think most of the time people don’t even realize what they are doing. That man in the restaurant who was talking about me had no idea what he was doing and the position that he was putting himself in.
Why You Must Follow Forgiveness
That’s why we need to pray for them and say, “God forgive them.” In fact, what does God say will happen to us when we obey His Word?
Luke 6:35 states “…and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High….” God tells us that we’ll receive a reward. We will get double for our trouble if we will do things His way.
The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. Do you know what that means? It means that love will even have you making excuses for your enemies. Someone might come up to us and say, “Well, I heard what so-and-so did to you.”
When we really decide to forgive someone and pray the prayer that blesses our enemies, making the decision that we will not talk bad about them, but instead, cover their fault and their mess, we still might not feel any different.
Now, I believe choosing forgiveness is one of the most difficult things God asks us to do, especially if we believe that whoever hurt us is in the wrong and doesn’t deserve to be forgiven.
But God instructs us to practice forgiveness. And when we choose to follow the path of forgiveness, we will experience the peace and joy that come through obeying God’s Word.
How do you respond when someone hurts your feelings? Do you let it rob you of joy? Or maybe your emotions run wild?
Luke 6:27,28 NIV tells us what we should do when people hurt us:
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Can you believe that? We’re to pray something like, “Oh, Lord, I pray that You’d just make them so happy!”
I still don’t get that, but I’m willing to do it in obedience and say, “Lord, I don’t know that I really want them to be happy, but I’ll pray that in faith anyway, because You’re telling me to bless them with Your presence.”
Luke 6:35 NIV goes further. It says:
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
A Tip for Following Forgiveness
Now, let’s get practical about how to do this. If we have a coworker who gets the promotion that we’ve been believing God for, the minute we start to feel jealousy and envy, we need to go buy them a gift.
Yes, you heard me right: buy them a gift. It works. When we do it, it breaks the power of the devil because Romans 12:21 says that we overcome evil with good. It’s absolutely true too. I have learned this principle and it has been life-changing for me.
What I Did When Someone Hurt Me
For example, a few years ago someone told me about a person who was doing business with our ministry and making a good deal of money because of their relationship with us. My friend happened to be at the same restaurant, seated in the next booth and overheard their conversation, which just happened to be about me—and they weren’t saying good things either.
At first I got mad and just wanted to tell him that he was never getting our business again.
But in bed that night, the Holy Spirit said to me, “You’re not going to do any of those things.” He said, “No, you’re going to do what you teach. You’re going to go buy him a present, and you’re going to tell him how much you appreciate the services that he’s given you all these years.”
Needless to say, I resisted at first. But eventually I relented and bought him a gift.
What You Must Do When Someone Hurts You
What I remember most about the situation is that as soon as I started taking action to do something good for them, it just got so funny to me. I was laughing out loud in my house, all by myself.
Listen: When we can look at people who’ve hurt us with compassion and pray what Jesus prayed “…Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” there’s a party that goes on inside of us.
I think most of the time people don’t even realize what they are doing. That man in the restaurant who was talking about me had no idea what he was doing and the position that he was putting himself in.
Why You Must Follow Forgiveness
That’s why we need to pray for them and say, “God forgive them.” In fact, what does God say will happen to us when we obey His Word?
Luke 6:35 states “…and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High….” God tells us that we’ll receive a reward. We will get double for our trouble if we will do things His way.
The Bible says that love covers a multitude of sins. Do you know what that means? It means that love will even have you making excuses for your enemies. Someone might come up to us and say, “Well, I heard what so-and-so did to you.”
When we really decide to forgive someone and pray the prayer that blesses our enemies, making the decision that we will not talk bad about them, but instead, cover their fault and their mess, we still might not feel any different.
Now, I believe choosing forgiveness is one of the most difficult things God asks us to do, especially if we believe that whoever hurt us is in the wrong and doesn’t deserve to be forgiven.
But God instructs us to practice forgiveness. And when we choose to follow the path of forgiveness, we will experience the peace and joy that come through obeying God’s Word.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Christ is our supply
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."
His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?"
"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Matthew 15:29-37
Do you get worn out trying to "do" everything for everyone? Do you feel spent running around, trying to pour out of your paltry resources, trying to do things for others around you? God has called you to be a deliverer of His gifts, not the creator of them! He will be our full supply, apart from Him we have nothing to offer.
Life with little children can be very demanding and exhausting. Parenthood brings us face to face with our need to draw from Christ so that we can generously pour love and provision on our children.
That being said, it can be hard to practice because receiving our supply from God isn't always as tangible as a bag of grain, a fish, or a piece of bread that we walk up and take from His hand. A few weeks ago, as spring began it's warm up and we got the bikes out of storage it became clear that Sophie, my 5 year old, would need a new bike this year. As she was riding, her boney little knees were up in her chest! I was thinking about our budget and how we would provide this new bike for her. I don't even think I whispered a conscious prayer about it, but the next day a friend contacted me to see if Sophie would be interested in her daughter's bike that she had outgrown, saying it would be the perfect size for Sophie...wow, what a blessing! The thing I might have missed several years ago, is that this is not a coincidence, this is God working in my life. He does know our needs, and He does care about the little things we worry about!
It may be something this concrete, but many times what we desperately need is a supply of patience, fogiveness, love, wisdom, or comfort from Him so we can pour it out on someone else. This kind of spiritual supply comes from Jesus' presence. Meditating on the pages of Scripture. Committing to focused prayer. Waiting quietly on Him so our spirits can learn His voice.
(some of this is paraphrased from Kelly Minter's study on the book of Ruth)
Prepare
Are you trying to do it all in your own strength today? How can you ask God to be your supply and allow yourself to be a deliverer of His gifts to those around you today?
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."
His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?"
"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Matthew 15:29-37
Do you get worn out trying to "do" everything for everyone? Do you feel spent running around, trying to pour out of your paltry resources, trying to do things for others around you? God has called you to be a deliverer of His gifts, not the creator of them! He will be our full supply, apart from Him we have nothing to offer.
Life with little children can be very demanding and exhausting. Parenthood brings us face to face with our need to draw from Christ so that we can generously pour love and provision on our children.
That being said, it can be hard to practice because receiving our supply from God isn't always as tangible as a bag of grain, a fish, or a piece of bread that we walk up and take from His hand. A few weeks ago, as spring began it's warm up and we got the bikes out of storage it became clear that Sophie, my 5 year old, would need a new bike this year. As she was riding, her boney little knees were up in her chest! I was thinking about our budget and how we would provide this new bike for her. I don't even think I whispered a conscious prayer about it, but the next day a friend contacted me to see if Sophie would be interested in her daughter's bike that she had outgrown, saying it would be the perfect size for Sophie...wow, what a blessing! The thing I might have missed several years ago, is that this is not a coincidence, this is God working in my life. He does know our needs, and He does care about the little things we worry about!
It may be something this concrete, but many times what we desperately need is a supply of patience, fogiveness, love, wisdom, or comfort from Him so we can pour it out on someone else. This kind of spiritual supply comes from Jesus' presence. Meditating on the pages of Scripture. Committing to focused prayer. Waiting quietly on Him so our spirits can learn His voice.
(some of this is paraphrased from Kelly Minter's study on the book of Ruth)
Prepare
Are you trying to do it all in your own strength today? How can you ask God to be your supply and allow yourself to be a deliverer of His gifts to those around you today?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
A Work in Progress
I was finally able to get my husband to finish a project, but I wasn't as pleased as I thought I'd be.
by Mandy Houk
They mocked me for months. Every morning when I raised the blinds and looked out the window, I saw them. It was almost like they were winking: one Adirondack chair was a deep brick red; the other was white. White primer, to be exact.
We had not run out of red paint. My husband, Pete, had simply run out of daylight on the day he'd planned to paint both. And there they sat, still waiting for Pete to find another day to finish the job.
After 16 years of marriage, I know I shouldn't harp on unfinished household projects, even on those sunny Saturdays when he's playing video games or watching college football. I've heard enough sermons on marriage to know that nagging from me, though it might get the job done, also discourages and alienates my husband. I'd rather have mismatched chairs than a discouraged husband.
Or would I?
As much as I might resolve to leave the man in peace, my resolve has an expiration date. Ultimately, the day comes when I can't (won't) take it anymore. This tends to coincide with an upcoming visit from an out-of-town guest. Or a potluck dinner at our house. Or anything that involves someone from the outside coming inside our house where they might witness the evidence of our … gasp! … imperfections.
And that day finally arrived for the chairs.
So I exploded. I whined. I scolded. It wasn't pretty.
Pete took it silently. And when I'd exhausted my venom, he disappeared outside. After a while, I looked out the window to see where he'd gone. He was kneeling by that one white chair, slowly turning it red.
Looking at My Own Stuff
There's no real joy in the fact that the chairs match now. In fact, when we had our family photos taken in the middle of the mismatched era, the photographer was thrilled at the contrast and used it to great effect in our portraits.
Truth be told, those chairs still mock me. Because now, when I open the blinds and see their lovely, homogenous red-ness, what I really see is my own nastiness. I recall that day of my self-righteous explosion.
How easy it is for me to take note of all that Pete leaves undone. But what about everything that I leave undone? How many times have my daughters had a no-panties crisis in the morning because I failed to get their laundry done when I'd planned? How many years have I been working on that Christmas cross-stitch that's gathering dust in my sewing basket? (Hint: enough years that there's a rust stain from the needle that's neatly slipped through a couple of holes, as if I'll get right back to it in a minute.) And what about my growing dresser-dust collection?
If you'll indulge my adjustments, Matthew 7:3–5 goes something like this: "Why do you look at the unpainted chair in your husband's eye and pay no attention to the dusty dresser in your own eye? How can you say to him, 'Get your fanny out there and paint that!' when all the time there is a mountain of laundry in your hamper? You hypocrite! Get your own chores done, and then you can help him with his!"
What it comes down to, ultimately, is mercy. I can grit my teeth in self-powered "resolve" all I want, but it can't last. Because it's me-powered. Not until I fully absorb the astonishing volume of mercy that God has shown to me—and that Pete shows to me as well—will I be able to release the expectations that lead to my nagging in the first place.
When I catch myself starting to stare and squint at some unfinished project of Pete's, I let my eyes shift over to an unfinished project of my own. A project that my merciful husband has never once mentioned. That shuts me up pretty quick.
When I take note that he's playing video games, I also take note of our youngest daughter. She's sitting on the sofa beside him having a fabulous time with her daddy. And when he's watching football, I do something really radical. I remind myself that I happen to like football too. I grab some snacks and plop down at his side (where I'm careful not to talk during a long drive—but that's another article).
Finally, when he does get going on a long-awaited project—like adjusting the basketball hoop to a manageable height for our daughters—I don't sigh to myself and think, It's about time! I go out and help him. Inevitably, because neither of us is a descendant of Mr. Fixit, something goes wrong. After we've finished laughing about it, we figure out the solution together.
That beats staring out the window at chairs any day.
Prepare
Ok, perhaps this hits me harder than some of you because my love language is acts of service...so yeah, ouch is all I can say. I am very guilty of missing opportunities to just be with Tom because I'm too busy trying to get him to help me with a project, help me with the girls, help me, help me, help me...
How about you? Does this article speak to you? Does God care about our "to-do" list or our relationships? Where should our focus be?
by Mandy Houk
They mocked me for months. Every morning when I raised the blinds and looked out the window, I saw them. It was almost like they were winking: one Adirondack chair was a deep brick red; the other was white. White primer, to be exact.
We had not run out of red paint. My husband, Pete, had simply run out of daylight on the day he'd planned to paint both. And there they sat, still waiting for Pete to find another day to finish the job.
After 16 years of marriage, I know I shouldn't harp on unfinished household projects, even on those sunny Saturdays when he's playing video games or watching college football. I've heard enough sermons on marriage to know that nagging from me, though it might get the job done, also discourages and alienates my husband. I'd rather have mismatched chairs than a discouraged husband.
Or would I?
As much as I might resolve to leave the man in peace, my resolve has an expiration date. Ultimately, the day comes when I can't (won't) take it anymore. This tends to coincide with an upcoming visit from an out-of-town guest. Or a potluck dinner at our house. Or anything that involves someone from the outside coming inside our house where they might witness the evidence of our … gasp! … imperfections.
And that day finally arrived for the chairs.
So I exploded. I whined. I scolded. It wasn't pretty.
Pete took it silently. And when I'd exhausted my venom, he disappeared outside. After a while, I looked out the window to see where he'd gone. He was kneeling by that one white chair, slowly turning it red.
Looking at My Own Stuff
There's no real joy in the fact that the chairs match now. In fact, when we had our family photos taken in the middle of the mismatched era, the photographer was thrilled at the contrast and used it to great effect in our portraits.
Truth be told, those chairs still mock me. Because now, when I open the blinds and see their lovely, homogenous red-ness, what I really see is my own nastiness. I recall that day of my self-righteous explosion.
How easy it is for me to take note of all that Pete leaves undone. But what about everything that I leave undone? How many times have my daughters had a no-panties crisis in the morning because I failed to get their laundry done when I'd planned? How many years have I been working on that Christmas cross-stitch that's gathering dust in my sewing basket? (Hint: enough years that there's a rust stain from the needle that's neatly slipped through a couple of holes, as if I'll get right back to it in a minute.) And what about my growing dresser-dust collection?
If you'll indulge my adjustments, Matthew 7:3–5 goes something like this: "Why do you look at the unpainted chair in your husband's eye and pay no attention to the dusty dresser in your own eye? How can you say to him, 'Get your fanny out there and paint that!' when all the time there is a mountain of laundry in your hamper? You hypocrite! Get your own chores done, and then you can help him with his!"
What it comes down to, ultimately, is mercy. I can grit my teeth in self-powered "resolve" all I want, but it can't last. Because it's me-powered. Not until I fully absorb the astonishing volume of mercy that God has shown to me—and that Pete shows to me as well—will I be able to release the expectations that lead to my nagging in the first place.
When I catch myself starting to stare and squint at some unfinished project of Pete's, I let my eyes shift over to an unfinished project of my own. A project that my merciful husband has never once mentioned. That shuts me up pretty quick.
When I take note that he's playing video games, I also take note of our youngest daughter. She's sitting on the sofa beside him having a fabulous time with her daddy. And when he's watching football, I do something really radical. I remind myself that I happen to like football too. I grab some snacks and plop down at his side (where I'm careful not to talk during a long drive—but that's another article).
Finally, when he does get going on a long-awaited project—like adjusting the basketball hoop to a manageable height for our daughters—I don't sigh to myself and think, It's about time! I go out and help him. Inevitably, because neither of us is a descendant of Mr. Fixit, something goes wrong. After we've finished laughing about it, we figure out the solution together.
That beats staring out the window at chairs any day.
Prepare
Ok, perhaps this hits me harder than some of you because my love language is acts of service...so yeah, ouch is all I can say. I am very guilty of missing opportunities to just be with Tom because I'm too busy trying to get him to help me with a project, help me with the girls, help me, help me, help me...
How about you? Does this article speak to you? Does God care about our "to-do" list or our relationships? Where should our focus be?
Monday, March 22, 2010
Surrender
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30
Surrendering all to Christ. This is a word that keeps popping up in my life. It's an incredibly hard concept for me. I'm going to share a passage from my reading this morning in a study of the book of Ruth, by Kelly Minter.
"This place of surrender is the most freeing of places to be and the hardest to get to. Some of us have been working, toiling, and struggling - we've done all we can do and now it's time to cease striving and lie down at the feet of Jesus. I'm not sure what plagues you, what you're carrying, or what fears loom in your life. But I want you to picture leaving those things behind...I'm not sure there is any more important move in our life with Christ than our total surrender to Him. Yes, this can be scary. Yes, it can be costly. But ... eternal blessings of submission to Jesus are unparalleled. What He can do with a willing life surrendered at His feet is more than we can comprehend. I just know I don't want to miss it for whatever I'm clutching in my hands."
Prepare
What keeps you from total surrender to Jesus today?
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30
Surrendering all to Christ. This is a word that keeps popping up in my life. It's an incredibly hard concept for me. I'm going to share a passage from my reading this morning in a study of the book of Ruth, by Kelly Minter.
"This place of surrender is the most freeing of places to be and the hardest to get to. Some of us have been working, toiling, and struggling - we've done all we can do and now it's time to cease striving and lie down at the feet of Jesus. I'm not sure what plagues you, what you're carrying, or what fears loom in your life. But I want you to picture leaving those things behind...I'm not sure there is any more important move in our life with Christ than our total surrender to Him. Yes, this can be scary. Yes, it can be costly. But ... eternal blessings of submission to Jesus are unparalleled. What He can do with a willing life surrendered at His feet is more than we can comprehend. I just know I don't want to miss it for whatever I'm clutching in my hands."
Prepare
What keeps you from total surrender to Jesus today?
Friday, March 19, 2010
People Pleasing
I'm going to share an excerpt from Rob Bell's book, Velvet Elvis:
"Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be. And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.
The relentless pursuit of who God made me to be.
I started identifying how much of my life was about making sure the right people were pleased with me. And as this became more and more clear, I realized how less and less pleased I was with myself.What happens is our lives become so heavily oriented around the expectations of others that we become more and more like them and less and less like ourselves. We become split. . .
I had this person I knew I was made to be, yet it was mixed in with all of these other . . . people. As the lights were turned on, I saw I had all of this guilt and shame because I wasn't measuring up to the image of the perfect person I had in my head."
This passage jumped out at me yesterday as I was reading. Now, I am going to say that this book is a tough one for me. It's very challenging and pretty uncomfortable. I'm not sure I agree with all that is said in it. I'm not even sure I agree with the entire excerpt here...but some of it really hits me in a "wake up and pay attention" kind of way.
I think as women, we are especially predisposed to wanting to please others. We spend a lot of time and energy trying to please many, many people...but sometimes we don't consider if we are pleasing God in the process. The things we are doing for others may be really good things too like being involved in ministries, signing up for PTO, running car pool...people are going to "pleased" with you for helping out..at least initially. But is God pleased? Is that his plan for you right now?
And, what happens when a little while into "helping" someone or some ministry, there are bumps in the road? If you're not doing it with God's direction, but to please people, and the people aren't even happy with you...then what? That hurts. If we're subconsciously doing it to receive self-worth...we end up feeling pretty empty.
I have been resolving to commit my decisions to Him, and I have felt Him nudging me to "take a sharpie to my list." I have been dragging my heels, kicking and screaming in my head...why? Because I don't want to let anyone down. But, guess what? If I'm not doing it in His strength I'm going to let people down. It happened this week. It was painful to me. My busy schedule and distracted day resulted in me totally forgetting a commitment I had made with someone. I feel terrible about this. But, you know what? It's been a wake up call for me, too. I AM going to "take a sharpie to my list" this weekend. I'm going to surrender my schedule to God and let Him direct my people pleasing ways.
Prepare
Who are you trying to please today? What is on your calendar for today . . . is it God's agenda or yours?
"Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be. And anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.
The relentless pursuit of who God made me to be.
I started identifying how much of my life was about making sure the right people were pleased with me. And as this became more and more clear, I realized how less and less pleased I was with myself.What happens is our lives become so heavily oriented around the expectations of others that we become more and more like them and less and less like ourselves. We become split. . .
I had this person I knew I was made to be, yet it was mixed in with all of these other . . . people. As the lights were turned on, I saw I had all of this guilt and shame because I wasn't measuring up to the image of the perfect person I had in my head."
This passage jumped out at me yesterday as I was reading. Now, I am going to say that this book is a tough one for me. It's very challenging and pretty uncomfortable. I'm not sure I agree with all that is said in it. I'm not even sure I agree with the entire excerpt here...but some of it really hits me in a "wake up and pay attention" kind of way.
I think as women, we are especially predisposed to wanting to please others. We spend a lot of time and energy trying to please many, many people...but sometimes we don't consider if we are pleasing God in the process. The things we are doing for others may be really good things too like being involved in ministries, signing up for PTO, running car pool...people are going to "pleased" with you for helping out..at least initially. But is God pleased? Is that his plan for you right now?
And, what happens when a little while into "helping" someone or some ministry, there are bumps in the road? If you're not doing it with God's direction, but to please people, and the people aren't even happy with you...then what? That hurts. If we're subconsciously doing it to receive self-worth...we end up feeling pretty empty.
I have been resolving to commit my decisions to Him, and I have felt Him nudging me to "take a sharpie to my list." I have been dragging my heels, kicking and screaming in my head...why? Because I don't want to let anyone down. But, guess what? If I'm not doing it in His strength I'm going to let people down. It happened this week. It was painful to me. My busy schedule and distracted day resulted in me totally forgetting a commitment I had made with someone. I feel terrible about this. But, you know what? It's been a wake up call for me, too. I AM going to "take a sharpie to my list" this weekend. I'm going to surrender my schedule to God and let Him direct my people pleasing ways.
Prepare
Who are you trying to please today? What is on your calendar for today . . . is it God's agenda or yours?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Worldviews and Children
by Marc A. Fey
James Sire, author of The Universe Next Door, tells a story that influenced the way I looked at the world. The story goes something like this:
A boy came home one day and asked his father, "What holds up the world, Dad?"
The father answered with a storybook reply, "A camel holds up the world, son."
But the next day the boy was back. "Dad, if a camel holds up the world, what holds up the camel?" The father answered quickly, "A kangaroo."
Soon, the son returned. "Dad, what holds up the kangaroo?" Knowing he was now in trouble, the father said emphatically, "An elephant!"
"Come on, Dad, what holds up the elephant?"
Exasperated, the father blurted, "It's . . . it's elephant — all the way down!"
Besides illustrating that kids ask the toughest questions, the story shows that when a parent doesn't answer thoughtfully or replies flippantly, it doesn't eliminate a child's curiosity. Tough questions shouldn't be avoided. In fact, they offer some of the best opportunities to teach a Christian worldview.
Del Tackett, president of the Focus Leadership Institute, describes a worldview as "the framework from which we view reality and make sense of life and the world." The best tool we can give our children is to teach them how to accurately make sense of life.
Questions about life lead to teachable moments. Here are three ways you can teach your kids a Christian worldview so they interpret life by what is true — not what is trendy, easy or false.
1. What is really real?
When philosophies of the world compete with biblical truth, ask: "Is that really real?" When we are watching TV as a family and something comes on the screen that contradicts our Christian worldview, I might ask, "What are they really selling you?" The answer is often something like, "They want me to think that new car will make me cool." Bull's-eye! From here, we can talk about whether a car makes someone cool or if coolness is even important to God.
Our kids want — and need — to know what's really real. As Christians, we know that God's Word is what defines truth, not personal experience.
The truth? God is the ultimate reality, and the way we learn about that reality is from His Word — not our feelings, popular culture or peers.
2. What's the point of trials and difficulties?
Your child's worst days can be the best times to teach a Christian worldview. When my 14-year-old didn't make the basketball team, he struggled with disappointment, so we talked about whether God knew what was going to happen. My son was surprised when he realized God knew but allowed the circumstances anyway.
The even harder question was raised about our friend's son who died of cancer. This tragedy led to discussions about the reality that, without God, man doesn't have the resources needed to get through the difficult events in life.
The truth? Man, who is fallen, needs God.
3. What's the challenge for both parent and child?
A Christian worldview is about thinking rightly so we can have a strong relationship with God. In this way, loving God means thinking as a Christian and embracing the Bible's teachings. When my kids see that thinking about Truth is the first step in the process of living the Truth, they look differently at God’s Word.
The truth? The evidence of a Christian worldview is the life of a person who has a close relationship with Jesus Christ.
So, don't dodge your kids' hard questions. We need to build our lives on what can’t be shaken: God's Truth — all the way down.
James Sire, author of The Universe Next Door, tells a story that influenced the way I looked at the world. The story goes something like this:
A boy came home one day and asked his father, "What holds up the world, Dad?"
The father answered with a storybook reply, "A camel holds up the world, son."
But the next day the boy was back. "Dad, if a camel holds up the world, what holds up the camel?" The father answered quickly, "A kangaroo."
Soon, the son returned. "Dad, what holds up the kangaroo?" Knowing he was now in trouble, the father said emphatically, "An elephant!"
"Come on, Dad, what holds up the elephant?"
Exasperated, the father blurted, "It's . . . it's elephant — all the way down!"
Besides illustrating that kids ask the toughest questions, the story shows that when a parent doesn't answer thoughtfully or replies flippantly, it doesn't eliminate a child's curiosity. Tough questions shouldn't be avoided. In fact, they offer some of the best opportunities to teach a Christian worldview.
Del Tackett, president of the Focus Leadership Institute, describes a worldview as "the framework from which we view reality and make sense of life and the world." The best tool we can give our children is to teach them how to accurately make sense of life.
Questions about life lead to teachable moments. Here are three ways you can teach your kids a Christian worldview so they interpret life by what is true — not what is trendy, easy or false.
1. What is really real?
When philosophies of the world compete with biblical truth, ask: "Is that really real?" When we are watching TV as a family and something comes on the screen that contradicts our Christian worldview, I might ask, "What are they really selling you?" The answer is often something like, "They want me to think that new car will make me cool." Bull's-eye! From here, we can talk about whether a car makes someone cool or if coolness is even important to God.
Our kids want — and need — to know what's really real. As Christians, we know that God's Word is what defines truth, not personal experience.
The truth? God is the ultimate reality, and the way we learn about that reality is from His Word — not our feelings, popular culture or peers.
2. What's the point of trials and difficulties?
Your child's worst days can be the best times to teach a Christian worldview. When my 14-year-old didn't make the basketball team, he struggled with disappointment, so we talked about whether God knew what was going to happen. My son was surprised when he realized God knew but allowed the circumstances anyway.
The even harder question was raised about our friend's son who died of cancer. This tragedy led to discussions about the reality that, without God, man doesn't have the resources needed to get through the difficult events in life.
The truth? Man, who is fallen, needs God.
3. What's the challenge for both parent and child?
A Christian worldview is about thinking rightly so we can have a strong relationship with God. In this way, loving God means thinking as a Christian and embracing the Bible's teachings. When my kids see that thinking about Truth is the first step in the process of living the Truth, they look differently at God’s Word.
The truth? The evidence of a Christian worldview is the life of a person who has a close relationship with Jesus Christ.
So, don't dodge your kids' hard questions. We need to build our lives on what can’t be shaken: God's Truth — all the way down.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Jesus Storybook Bible
Julie mentioned this book in MOPS on Friday. We have it, too, and it is wonderful. Amy Johnson tripped upon this blog entry on Friday about the very same book...serendipitous timing? Read her review and endorsement. You may want to pick one up for Easter this year! Enjoy!
http://www.sarahmarkley.com/2010/03/the-jesus-storybook-bible/
http://www.sarahmarkley.com/2010/03/the-jesus-storybook-bible/
Monday, March 8, 2010
Making the Bible Fun
How to reach children ages 0-3 with God's Word
by Lynne M. Thompson
It was Bible Time, which meant my children were curled up on the couch with their blankies, ready for naptime. I read to them the story about Noah, and when I came to the part about loading up the animals, I paused. "Don't you wonder what it would be like to float in a boat with all those animals," I asked. My sleepyheads shrugged. Grinning, I pulled the cushions off the couch and shouted "Let's go get all of our stuffed animals and find out!" Cheers followed my suggestion and before we knew it, we were floating in our living room with creatures great and small.
Play
Toddlers love to play, so incorporating imagination and excitement into your Bible time helps little ones develop a desire to learn. You'll first want to purchase an age-appropriate Bible, beginning with a toddler version and progressing toward a children's study Bible. Be sure to add a full dose of fun into your Bible reading. This might mean using action figures to reenact the story of David and Goliath, or clanging homemade musical instruments to one of the Psalms. I always enjoyed reading the "take-home" stories from their Sunday school classes, changing the names of the main characters to my own children's names to keep interest.
Learn
Although parents might wonder how much understanding occurs at this age, a new study at Indiana University has discovered that children may comprehend words sooner than previously suspected. Cognitive science experts Linda Smith and Chen Yu have reported that kids ages 12-14 months may be using a technique labeled "data mining" to acquire language. This is where "the human brain accumulates large amounts of data minute-by-minute, day-by-day, and handles this data processing automatically." It then sorts "through massive amounts of raw data to find relationships, correlations, and ultimately useful information." This "system" approach to language learning would explain the ease with which 2- and 3-year-olds can learn one word at a time.
I started teaching my children memory verses at a young age by using body movements. For instance, when reciting "In the beginning God created the heavens" I would stand on my toes and reach my arms up high, and for "and the earth" I would squat down and touch the floor. Later, when my children could speak, I would repeat the verse, but leave out key words for them to fill in.
Do
Teaching your child the Bible also involves what you do outside the home with your little ones. My children and I took a trip every Thursday to the nearby retirement home, where we handed out flowers to each of the residents. One day when my mom was taking a blooming plant to grandma at the hospital, to her surprise, my son began plucking off the flowers and handing them to the patients in the hallway. To him, it was just an opportunity to show kindness, just like the Good Samaritan did in the Bible.
More Fun Ideas:
•Rock your child to sleep at night singing praise songs and hymns.
•Dress up as Bible characters.
•Invite other children over for a Bible story time with treats afterwards.
•Turn up the music and dance to specially recorded toddler songs like Psalty's Songs for Li'l Praisers or Bob and Larry Sing the 70's.
•Deliver handmade cards to church shut-ins.
by Lynne M. Thompson
It was Bible Time, which meant my children were curled up on the couch with their blankies, ready for naptime. I read to them the story about Noah, and when I came to the part about loading up the animals, I paused. "Don't you wonder what it would be like to float in a boat with all those animals," I asked. My sleepyheads shrugged. Grinning, I pulled the cushions off the couch and shouted "Let's go get all of our stuffed animals and find out!" Cheers followed my suggestion and before we knew it, we were floating in our living room with creatures great and small.
Play
Toddlers love to play, so incorporating imagination and excitement into your Bible time helps little ones develop a desire to learn. You'll first want to purchase an age-appropriate Bible, beginning with a toddler version and progressing toward a children's study Bible. Be sure to add a full dose of fun into your Bible reading. This might mean using action figures to reenact the story of David and Goliath, or clanging homemade musical instruments to one of the Psalms. I always enjoyed reading the "take-home" stories from their Sunday school classes, changing the names of the main characters to my own children's names to keep interest.
Learn
Although parents might wonder how much understanding occurs at this age, a new study at Indiana University has discovered that children may comprehend words sooner than previously suspected. Cognitive science experts Linda Smith and Chen Yu have reported that kids ages 12-14 months may be using a technique labeled "data mining" to acquire language. This is where "the human brain accumulates large amounts of data minute-by-minute, day-by-day, and handles this data processing automatically." It then sorts "through massive amounts of raw data to find relationships, correlations, and ultimately useful information." This "system" approach to language learning would explain the ease with which 2- and 3-year-olds can learn one word at a time.
I started teaching my children memory verses at a young age by using body movements. For instance, when reciting "In the beginning God created the heavens" I would stand on my toes and reach my arms up high, and for "and the earth" I would squat down and touch the floor. Later, when my children could speak, I would repeat the verse, but leave out key words for them to fill in.
Do
Teaching your child the Bible also involves what you do outside the home with your little ones. My children and I took a trip every Thursday to the nearby retirement home, where we handed out flowers to each of the residents. One day when my mom was taking a blooming plant to grandma at the hospital, to her surprise, my son began plucking off the flowers and handing them to the patients in the hallway. To him, it was just an opportunity to show kindness, just like the Good Samaritan did in the Bible.
More Fun Ideas:
•Rock your child to sleep at night singing praise songs and hymns.
•Dress up as Bible characters.
•Invite other children over for a Bible story time with treats afterwards.
•Turn up the music and dance to specially recorded toddler songs like Psalty's Songs for Li'l Praisers or Bob and Larry Sing the 70's.
•Deliver handmade cards to church shut-ins.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Passing It On
adapted from an article by Lisa Whelchel
Since the time my kids were toddlers,I’ve incorporated
“read your Bible” time into their daily routine, somewhere
between “brush your teeth” and “make your bed.” When they
were tiny, we used a simple picture Bible. As they’ve grown,
they’ve enjoyed our reading out of The Message, The Living
Bible, and The New Living Translation together. These
paraphrases and translations bring the stories to life and
the truths to heart.
The amount of reading we’ve recommended has varied depending
on their age. . . We’ve also purchased children’s devotions that
make thinking deeper about the Scriptures fun. . .
Of course, when it comes to shaping and molding, nothing’s as
effective as “modeling” clay. Make sure your son or daughter
catches you having your personal quiet time with the Lord.
"Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6
Prepare
How are you building a spiritual foundation in the lives of your children? Share your ideas here!
Since the time my kids were toddlers,I’ve incorporated
“read your Bible” time into their daily routine, somewhere
between “brush your teeth” and “make your bed.” When they
were tiny, we used a simple picture Bible. As they’ve grown,
they’ve enjoyed our reading out of The Message, The Living
Bible, and The New Living Translation together. These
paraphrases and translations bring the stories to life and
the truths to heart.
The amount of reading we’ve recommended has varied depending
on their age. . . We’ve also purchased children’s devotions that
make thinking deeper about the Scriptures fun. . .
Of course, when it comes to shaping and molding, nothing’s as
effective as “modeling” clay. Make sure your son or daughter
catches you having your personal quiet time with the Lord.
"Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6
Prepare
How are you building a spiritual foundation in the lives of your children? Share your ideas here!
Monday, March 1, 2010
God's timing
"He has made everything beautiful in it's time." Eccl. 3:11
Yeah, it's almost spring! Just flipping the calendar to March fills me with anticipation of green grass, yellow daffodils, purple crocuses. Sometimes in our lives it seems as if we are just waiting for tomorrow...so we miss what God's gifts are for us TODAY. It can be so easy to long for something so much that we become unable to see the beauty in today. Maybe you've been praying for your spouse's salvation, reconciliation with a friend or answers to a tough issue in your life. We often think, why not today, Lord?
"God is consistently, perfectly, always on time. You may be waiting for God to fulfill a promise to you. Don't lose hope; he's on time and always keeps his promises. However, sometimes God's waiting room can be God's training room. Waiting helps you grow into the woman he intends you to be"
God can use today, right now, to mold you to be more like Him...but you need to be available. You need to focus on today, not tomorrow. Look for the beauty out your window, while there's still snow and know that God's promise is that spring WILL come.
Prepare
Can you remember a time that you were waiting on God and how He worked in you life during that waiting time? That is part of your testimony. Share it here!
Yeah, it's almost spring! Just flipping the calendar to March fills me with anticipation of green grass, yellow daffodils, purple crocuses. Sometimes in our lives it seems as if we are just waiting for tomorrow...so we miss what God's gifts are for us TODAY. It can be so easy to long for something so much that we become unable to see the beauty in today. Maybe you've been praying for your spouse's salvation, reconciliation with a friend or answers to a tough issue in your life. We often think, why not today, Lord?
"God is consistently, perfectly, always on time. You may be waiting for God to fulfill a promise to you. Don't lose hope; he's on time and always keeps his promises. However, sometimes God's waiting room can be God's training room. Waiting helps you grow into the woman he intends you to be"
God can use today, right now, to mold you to be more like Him...but you need to be available. You need to focus on today, not tomorrow. Look for the beauty out your window, while there's still snow and know that God's promise is that spring WILL come.
Prepare
Can you remember a time that you were waiting on God and how He worked in you life during that waiting time? That is part of your testimony. Share it here!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Feeling tired?
I have to admit it...this snow is seriously getting to me! I have lived in much snowier climates, but that was before I had little people to bundle and get in and out of car seats, in and out of grocery stores. It just seems like spring will never come! I long to get outside with my girls and play and feel the warmth of the sun on my face.
I read this short devotional today, and in the midst of this grey winter it spoke to me!
"Life in general can wear you out. Life with children can be especially tiring - nurse the baby, change diapers, do laundry, go grocery shopping, make meals, wash dishes, drive to practices, discipline and train, play make-believe, read a favorite book, answer a thousand questions(amen!). . .how can you fit it all in one day? Do you sometimes dread waking up, knowing you're already behind? Try taking a few minutes each morning to ask God to arm you with strength. He will support you, guide you and encourage you. If you start your day with God, you may find you have more energy to actually enjoy the tasks you have before you."
As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.
You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.
Prepare
If you're like me and feeling a little tired, ask God to be your strength today! And, something just for fun, if you have any great ideas of fun things to do with your children, to add some fun in their day before the spring comes - list them in the comment section!
I read this short devotional today, and in the midst of this grey winter it spoke to me!
"Life in general can wear you out. Life with children can be especially tiring - nurse the baby, change diapers, do laundry, go grocery shopping, make meals, wash dishes, drive to practices, discipline and train, play make-believe, read a favorite book, answer a thousand questions(amen!). . .how can you fit it all in one day? Do you sometimes dread waking up, knowing you're already behind? Try taking a few minutes each morning to ask God to arm you with strength. He will support you, guide you and encourage you. If you start your day with God, you may find you have more energy to actually enjoy the tasks you have before you."
As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God besides the LORD ?
And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
and makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great.
You broaden the path beneath me,
so that my ankles do not turn.
Prepare
If you're like me and feeling a little tired, ask God to be your strength today! And, something just for fun, if you have any great ideas of fun things to do with your children, to add some fun in their day before the spring comes - list them in the comment section!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Is there a "perfect time" for quiet time?
Q: Some say it is best to have your devotional
time first thing in the morning—that you’re
somehow more blessed if you do. Why is that?
A: Many believers have discovered the importance of
incorporating devotions or quiet time into their daily
lives. They make a point to set aside a specific time
each day for personal Bible study, worship, and prayer.
It’s a wonderful way to connect with God—to develop
and strengthen our relationship with him. Attending
church services, Sunday school classes, and group Bible
studies can help, too. But there’s something very special
about the time we spend one-on-one with God. During
his earthly ministry, Jesus himself often slipped away
from the crowds to spend time alone with his Father—
sometimes early in the morning, sometimes late at night
(Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12).
With all of our responsibilities, commitments, and
obligations, it can be a real challenge for any of us to
find a “quiet” time these days. For some, the simplest
way is to get up a little earlier in the morning. Some find
it easier to squeeze in a few minutes during the lunch
hour or their toddler’s naptime. Others say they can
relax and concentrate better in the evening.
The Bible doesn’t specify any particularly beneficial
time of day for us to commune with God. Ultimately, our
goal is to be in constant communion with him day and
night (Deut. 6:6–8, 1 Thess. 5:16–18).
So why do some believers insist that morning devotions
are best? Perhaps because, like many of us, they’ve
discovered that if you put it off until later in the day
you may never get to it. Life continually throws all
kinds of interruptions and distractions our way. Having
our devotional time first thing is a way of making a
statement about our priorities. There is a very real
benefit to beginning with a strong spiritual focus,
committing our day to God before it’s begun. It gives
us a sense of purpose. It prepares us to take advantage
of divine appointments and strengthens us in advance
of the trials and temptations we may face.
But if evening is truly the best time for you, by all
means have your quiet time then. The most important
thing is that you do it! However, you might consider
taking five minutes in the morning to review what you
studied the night before. Read a brief devotional or
choose a few Scriptures to meditate on throughout the
day. Then, with your focus firmly in place, you’ll be
ready for whatever comes your way.
by Christin Ditchfield
Prepare
What time of day do you think is ideal for quiet
time? Why?
Is your ideal time realistic considering your
schedule? If not, what other time is best for you?
How will you set that time apart to be with God?
time first thing in the morning—that you’re
somehow more blessed if you do. Why is that?
A: Many believers have discovered the importance of
incorporating devotions or quiet time into their daily
lives. They make a point to set aside a specific time
each day for personal Bible study, worship, and prayer.
It’s a wonderful way to connect with God—to develop
and strengthen our relationship with him. Attending
church services, Sunday school classes, and group Bible
studies can help, too. But there’s something very special
about the time we spend one-on-one with God. During
his earthly ministry, Jesus himself often slipped away
from the crowds to spend time alone with his Father—
sometimes early in the morning, sometimes late at night
(Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12).
With all of our responsibilities, commitments, and
obligations, it can be a real challenge for any of us to
find a “quiet” time these days. For some, the simplest
way is to get up a little earlier in the morning. Some find
it easier to squeeze in a few minutes during the lunch
hour or their toddler’s naptime. Others say they can
relax and concentrate better in the evening.
The Bible doesn’t specify any particularly beneficial
time of day for us to commune with God. Ultimately, our
goal is to be in constant communion with him day and
night (Deut. 6:6–8, 1 Thess. 5:16–18).
So why do some believers insist that morning devotions
are best? Perhaps because, like many of us, they’ve
discovered that if you put it off until later in the day
you may never get to it. Life continually throws all
kinds of interruptions and distractions our way. Having
our devotional time first thing is a way of making a
statement about our priorities. There is a very real
benefit to beginning with a strong spiritual focus,
committing our day to God before it’s begun. It gives
us a sense of purpose. It prepares us to take advantage
of divine appointments and strengthens us in advance
of the trials and temptations we may face.
But if evening is truly the best time for you, by all
means have your quiet time then. The most important
thing is that you do it! However, you might consider
taking five minutes in the morning to review what you
studied the night before. Read a brief devotional or
choose a few Scriptures to meditate on throughout the
day. Then, with your focus firmly in place, you’ll be
ready for whatever comes your way.
by Christin Ditchfield
Prepare
What time of day do you think is ideal for quiet
time? Why?
Is your ideal time realistic considering your
schedule? If not, what other time is best for you?
How will you set that time apart to be with God?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Staying connected to the Vine
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." John 15: 1-8
It strikes me how this passage says that every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so it will be more fruitful. Even today, I'm feeling Him prune me...and quite frankly, I'm not a fan of the feel of those pruning shears. I do know that He wants me to learn from this, to be more fruitful in the future and to lean into the Vine for strength. But it doesn't mean that everyday is easy!
Reflect on what it means for you to “abide in” Jesus. (Other translations say “remain in me” or “live in me.”) What can you do today to be intimately
connected to Jesus? Read the passage one more time, pray that God will help
you to understand what it means to abide in Him today.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." John 15: 1-8
It strikes me how this passage says that every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, so it will be more fruitful. Even today, I'm feeling Him prune me...and quite frankly, I'm not a fan of the feel of those pruning shears. I do know that He wants me to learn from this, to be more fruitful in the future and to lean into the Vine for strength. But it doesn't mean that everyday is easy!
Reflect on what it means for you to “abide in” Jesus. (Other translations say “remain in me” or “live in me.”) What can you do today to be intimately
connected to Jesus? Read the passage one more time, pray that God will help
you to understand what it means to abide in Him today.
Monday, February 15, 2010
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Lessons from a backyard flower bed
by Susan M. Smith
For years, I tried to make myself a “better
Christian” by signing up for more Bible studies or
taking seminars. But it wasn’t until I took a lesson
from my garden that I realized I was trying to make
myself grow instead of letting God do the work. Here
are some spiritual lessons I found lurking in my
backyard flowerbed.
Cultivate What’s Right for Your Soil
How many times have I thrown myself into a worthy project
that spread its roots and choked the life out of me? I’m slowly
learning that just because something’s a “flower” doesn’t
mean it’s meant for my garden.
In Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul teaches
that each person has different spiritual gifts, such as
teaching, serving, encouragement, administration, healing,
and miracles. These special, God-given abilities equip you to
perform certain tasks better than someone else.
If your gift is administration but you keep taking teaching
assignments because “flowers of teaching” look so good in
someone else’s life, you’re in for frustration. Not only will
teaching not grow well in your soil, your true garden of
administration will be too neglected to produce substantial
fruit. Just because a teaching job is available doesn’t mean
you need to plant it in your garden.
Don’t Be afraid of pruning
My azalea bush was struggling. Colorless leaves hung on
limp branches with sparse flowers. I tenderly cut back every
branch, assuring myself how lopping off lifeless branches
would pave the way for new flowers next spring.
Suddenly, I realized how lovingly and gingerly God removes
old branches from my life so I can sprout new growth. I
wasn’t punishing the azalea because it hadn’t yielded enough
flowers; I was doing everything I could to help it grow
because I’m fond of the little bush and want it to do well.
My friend Terri was in love with Max and intended to marry
him. Terri had never been happier. Because Max wasn’t a
Christian, Terri and I prayed for him daily, asking God to
draw him in. But when Max abruptly ended the relationship,
Terri was devastated. How could God let this happen? Was he
punishing her for falling in love with someone who wasn’t a
Christian?
On the contrary, God was trimming Max out of Terri’s life so
she’d be free to grow. It’s because God loves Terri that he freed
her to later marry Brian, a godly man who encourages rather
than hinders her spiritual development.
God doesn’t prune to vent anger. Instead, he trims our life
to help us improve because he loves us and wants to perfect
us. “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his
holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and
peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:10–11).
Weed Every Day
If I weeded every day, it would take ten minutes. But when
I say, “Those weeds aren’t so bad. I’ll get them tomorrow,”
I wind up spending an entire afternoon on my knees in the
flowerbed.
When Nehemiah set out to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, he
first repaired the city gates, including the Gate of Dung where
the people threw away their garbage every day. Establish right
now your practice of getting rid of the weeds every day by
recognizing the sins you’ve already committed and confessing
them to God, who “is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins” (1 John 1:9).
Realize Fertilizer Helps Us Grow
Christians quote Romans 8:28 so carelessly, it’s almost
become a cliché: “And we know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose.” But, clichés aside, the skillful
hands of God can coax rich fruit out of a garden buried in the
smelly fertilizer of disaster.
Several years ago I suffered clinical depression when an
important relationship blew apart with the force of an
explosion. I stopped eating, cried uncontrollably, and rarely
slept. Never had I known the debilitating hopelessness and
worthlessness that came with depression. In desperation, I
began seeing a Christian counselor.
Today, I thank God for that disaster, because he used it to
change my life. The counselor and I tackled misconceptions
about God, myself, and my faith I’d carried most of my life. As
a result, I found a relationship with God I’d only dreamed of.
God didn’t desire me to be part of an ill-chosen relationship
just so he could change me. But in his grace, he used that
desperate situation—a whole truckload of fertilizer—to nurture
growth in me that might not have happened otherwise.
Water When a Drought Comes
Last year, when a lack of rain made hearty flowers shrivel
into sad-looking sticks, my weeds flourished. Likewise, when
I get into a spiritually dry place, I wither while my weeds—be
they bad habits, sorry attitudes, or a blatant disregard for
God’s direction—grow like, well, weeds. We all have seasons
when our walk with God isn’t as fresh as it has been. That’s
normal. But we can keep a dry spell from becoming a
drought with regular prayer, Bible reading, and meaningful
relationships with other Christians.
Ironically, it’s during the dry spells we’re most tempted to
stop reading the Bible or praying. But that’s when a garden
needs water more than ever! Put yourself in a position to
receive encouragement by soaking up the rain God’s already
given you—his Word, his Spirit, his communion, and his
people.
Let God Be the Gardener
Often I try to give plants room to breathe only to
accidentally pull them up with the weeds. Sometimes when
I try to give azaleas more of the acid-rich plant food they
love, I spill liquid on the geraniums, stunting if not killing
them.
That’s the kind of gardener I am, well-meaning but full of
flaws. But God is the perfect gardener.
God doesn’t wonder how to care for us; he created us and
calls us by name (Isa. 43:1). God never leaves a flowerbed
half-weeded, but finishes the good work he started in us
(Phil. 1:6). God waters us when we’re thirsty (John 4:14)
and feeds us when we’re hungry (John 6:35). God gives us
the faith to fight off the pests that would eat our fruit and
stunt our growth (Eph. 6:16). When we fail to take advantage
of his pesticides, he even restores what the locusts have
eaten (Joel 2:25). God protects us as his own children with
a blanketing mulch of adoption (1 John 3:1), and covers us
with the prayers of Jesus on our behalf (Rom. 8:34).
In John 15:1, Jesus says he’s the true vine and God’s the
gardener. According to John 15:5, we’re the branches
the gardener’s grafted onto the true vine. Our only
responsibility is to stay put (John 15:5–7) and respond to
the gardener. He’ll till the ground, prune the old growth,
send the rain and, ultimately, inhale the sweet aroma of the
flowers. We’ll cling to the true vine and grow.
As John 15:4–5 says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in
you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in
the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in
me … Apart from me, you can do nothing.”
How much simpler and richer life would be if we’d stop
trying to create our own rain and plant our own seeds, and
cling instead to the true vine and its only gardener with all
our heart, soul, and mind (Matt. 22:37)!
Prepare
It is our job to take steps to care for our spiritual life, but
ultimately we are reliant upon God as our gardener; we
must be surrendered to him as he does his work in us.
How has God been at work in your life recently? How has
he challenged you, encouraged you, strengthened you, or
changed you? Share something specific.
by Susan M. Smith
For years, I tried to make myself a “better
Christian” by signing up for more Bible studies or
taking seminars. But it wasn’t until I took a lesson
from my garden that I realized I was trying to make
myself grow instead of letting God do the work. Here
are some spiritual lessons I found lurking in my
backyard flowerbed.
Cultivate What’s Right for Your Soil
How many times have I thrown myself into a worthy project
that spread its roots and choked the life out of me? I’m slowly
learning that just because something’s a “flower” doesn’t
mean it’s meant for my garden.
In Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul teaches
that each person has different spiritual gifts, such as
teaching, serving, encouragement, administration, healing,
and miracles. These special, God-given abilities equip you to
perform certain tasks better than someone else.
If your gift is administration but you keep taking teaching
assignments because “flowers of teaching” look so good in
someone else’s life, you’re in for frustration. Not only will
teaching not grow well in your soil, your true garden of
administration will be too neglected to produce substantial
fruit. Just because a teaching job is available doesn’t mean
you need to plant it in your garden.
Don’t Be afraid of pruning
My azalea bush was struggling. Colorless leaves hung on
limp branches with sparse flowers. I tenderly cut back every
branch, assuring myself how lopping off lifeless branches
would pave the way for new flowers next spring.
Suddenly, I realized how lovingly and gingerly God removes
old branches from my life so I can sprout new growth. I
wasn’t punishing the azalea because it hadn’t yielded enough
flowers; I was doing everything I could to help it grow
because I’m fond of the little bush and want it to do well.
My friend Terri was in love with Max and intended to marry
him. Terri had never been happier. Because Max wasn’t a
Christian, Terri and I prayed for him daily, asking God to
draw him in. But when Max abruptly ended the relationship,
Terri was devastated. How could God let this happen? Was he
punishing her for falling in love with someone who wasn’t a
Christian?
On the contrary, God was trimming Max out of Terri’s life so
she’d be free to grow. It’s because God loves Terri that he freed
her to later marry Brian, a godly man who encourages rather
than hinders her spiritual development.
God doesn’t prune to vent anger. Instead, he trims our life
to help us improve because he loves us and wants to perfect
us. “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his
holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.
Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and
peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:10–11).
Weed Every Day
If I weeded every day, it would take ten minutes. But when
I say, “Those weeds aren’t so bad. I’ll get them tomorrow,”
I wind up spending an entire afternoon on my knees in the
flowerbed.
When Nehemiah set out to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, he
first repaired the city gates, including the Gate of Dung where
the people threw away their garbage every day. Establish right
now your practice of getting rid of the weeds every day by
recognizing the sins you’ve already committed and confessing
them to God, who “is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins” (1 John 1:9).
Realize Fertilizer Helps Us Grow
Christians quote Romans 8:28 so carelessly, it’s almost
become a cliché: “And we know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose.” But, clichés aside, the skillful
hands of God can coax rich fruit out of a garden buried in the
smelly fertilizer of disaster.
Several years ago I suffered clinical depression when an
important relationship blew apart with the force of an
explosion. I stopped eating, cried uncontrollably, and rarely
slept. Never had I known the debilitating hopelessness and
worthlessness that came with depression. In desperation, I
began seeing a Christian counselor.
Today, I thank God for that disaster, because he used it to
change my life. The counselor and I tackled misconceptions
about God, myself, and my faith I’d carried most of my life. As
a result, I found a relationship with God I’d only dreamed of.
God didn’t desire me to be part of an ill-chosen relationship
just so he could change me. But in his grace, he used that
desperate situation—a whole truckload of fertilizer—to nurture
growth in me that might not have happened otherwise.
Water When a Drought Comes
Last year, when a lack of rain made hearty flowers shrivel
into sad-looking sticks, my weeds flourished. Likewise, when
I get into a spiritually dry place, I wither while my weeds—be
they bad habits, sorry attitudes, or a blatant disregard for
God’s direction—grow like, well, weeds. We all have seasons
when our walk with God isn’t as fresh as it has been. That’s
normal. But we can keep a dry spell from becoming a
drought with regular prayer, Bible reading, and meaningful
relationships with other Christians.
Ironically, it’s during the dry spells we’re most tempted to
stop reading the Bible or praying. But that’s when a garden
needs water more than ever! Put yourself in a position to
receive encouragement by soaking up the rain God’s already
given you—his Word, his Spirit, his communion, and his
people.
Let God Be the Gardener
Often I try to give plants room to breathe only to
accidentally pull them up with the weeds. Sometimes when
I try to give azaleas more of the acid-rich plant food they
love, I spill liquid on the geraniums, stunting if not killing
them.
That’s the kind of gardener I am, well-meaning but full of
flaws. But God is the perfect gardener.
God doesn’t wonder how to care for us; he created us and
calls us by name (Isa. 43:1). God never leaves a flowerbed
half-weeded, but finishes the good work he started in us
(Phil. 1:6). God waters us when we’re thirsty (John 4:14)
and feeds us when we’re hungry (John 6:35). God gives us
the faith to fight off the pests that would eat our fruit and
stunt our growth (Eph. 6:16). When we fail to take advantage
of his pesticides, he even restores what the locusts have
eaten (Joel 2:25). God protects us as his own children with
a blanketing mulch of adoption (1 John 3:1), and covers us
with the prayers of Jesus on our behalf (Rom. 8:34).
In John 15:1, Jesus says he’s the true vine and God’s the
gardener. According to John 15:5, we’re the branches
the gardener’s grafted onto the true vine. Our only
responsibility is to stay put (John 15:5–7) and respond to
the gardener. He’ll till the ground, prune the old growth,
send the rain and, ultimately, inhale the sweet aroma of the
flowers. We’ll cling to the true vine and grow.
As John 15:4–5 says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in
you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in
the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in
me … Apart from me, you can do nothing.”
How much simpler and richer life would be if we’d stop
trying to create our own rain and plant our own seeds, and
cling instead to the true vine and its only gardener with all
our heart, soul, and mind (Matt. 22:37)!
Prepare
It is our job to take steps to care for our spiritual life, but
ultimately we are reliant upon God as our gardener; we
must be surrendered to him as he does his work in us.
How has God been at work in your life recently? How has
he challenged you, encouraged you, strengthened you, or
changed you? Share something specific.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Paul's words on spiritual goals
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25
Paul was committed to spiritual growth, and made it his top priority. He encouraged other believers to run the race like one who wants to win...in other words, give it ALL you have. The best part of you, the freshest part of your day. Sometimes that's hard to imagine doing that while raising kids, managing homes, being wives...but God knows our reality. If we make an effort to begin on the right track toward having time with Him, He will make a way!
Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 msg
Discipline...is that a hard word for you? It's amazing how freeing discipline is in our children's lives. Have you ever struggled with a certain issue with your child, gone on for days or even weeks, struggling with the same thing? Then, you realize you're not enforcing discipline enough for them. For my oldest, Sophie, charts are such a helpful tool. She might still struggle with the issue for a little time, but the discipline of the chart and the reward of seeing her own success bring dramatic change! She is set free by the discipline to do the right thing, and in turn, she feels good about herself. It might be easier to see in our children, but the same principle applies to us! Enforcing discipline might feel painful at first, but in time, it's freeing and rewarding! God has designed us to be in relationship with Him.
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal – those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.
Philippians 3:12-16 msg
Prepare
Do Paul's words encourage you? Do you feel challenged to start running the race like you want to win? How can you have your "eye on the goal" throughout each day? Has God ever "cleared your blurred vision" to help you see His goal for you?
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25
Paul was committed to spiritual growth, and made it his top priority. He encouraged other believers to run the race like one who wants to win...in other words, give it ALL you have. The best part of you, the freshest part of your day. Sometimes that's hard to imagine doing that while raising kids, managing homes, being wives...but God knows our reality. If we make an effort to begin on the right track toward having time with Him, He will make a way!
Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 msg
Discipline...is that a hard word for you? It's amazing how freeing discipline is in our children's lives. Have you ever struggled with a certain issue with your child, gone on for days or even weeks, struggling with the same thing? Then, you realize you're not enforcing discipline enough for them. For my oldest, Sophie, charts are such a helpful tool. She might still struggle with the issue for a little time, but the discipline of the chart and the reward of seeing her own success bring dramatic change! She is set free by the discipline to do the right thing, and in turn, she feels good about herself. It might be easier to see in our children, but the same principle applies to us! Enforcing discipline might feel painful at first, but in time, it's freeing and rewarding! God has designed us to be in relationship with Him.
I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running and I'm not turning back.
So let's keep focused on that goal – those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.
Philippians 3:12-16 msg
Prepare
Do Paul's words encourage you? Do you feel challenged to start running the race like you want to win? How can you have your "eye on the goal" throughout each day? Has God ever "cleared your blurred vision" to help you see His goal for you?
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Making Goals Stick
Article by Joan Esherick...edited by me.
Try these six steps for setting goals more effectively:
1) Be specific. In my work as a teacher coordinator, I meet
with Bible study teachers to help them set personal and
ministry goals. At one such meeting, a teacher mentioned her
personal goal for the year was to “grow in Bible knowledge.”
While her desire was admirable, I had to ask a number of
questions: “How will you know when you’ve grown?” “What
does growth in Bible knowledge look like?” “What steps will
you take to foster this growth?” Her goal needed to be more
specific.
As I worked with this teacher, we were able to revise her
goal from the vague—“I’ll grow in Bible knowledge”—to the
specific—“I’ll spend 30 minutes a day in personal Bible study,
5 days a week.” Her goal now expressed not only her desire,
but the means to accomplish it.
2) Be realistic. During my college years I wanted to pray
more. So I decided to rise every morning at 5 A.M. and pray
for an hour before breakfast. But I also worked as the closing
cook for Pizza Hut at that time, and rarely made it back to my
dorm room before 2 A.M. How long did my prayer endeavor
last? About two days. And in those two days I spent more
time sleeping than praying.
In a recent interview, I spoke with Christian counselor
Leslie Vernick who said, “If our goals begin to overwhelm us
perhaps that is a sign we are not living within the limits
and boundaries. God has created for us. We are human beings.
We all need to eat, sleep, and relax. Yet, at times we push
ourselves in [ways] that [ignore] these realities at least
temporarily. Then, when we can’t do it anymore we give up.
Instead, we should reassess our goal. Perhaps it was totally
unrealistic.”
My goal of early morning prayer was unrealistic in light of
my work schedule, my class schedule, and my need for sleep.
When I realized that, I replaced my original goal with a plan
more suited to my schedule: I’d pray during my 15-minute
breaks between afternoon classes 3 days a week. During my
afternoon break I sat on a park bench near my classrooms
and prayed. Unlike my first attempt, this three-afternoons-aweek
prayer endeavor lasted the entire semester. My prayer
life grew because my goal was realistic.
3) Include a way to measure your success. A good goal
will answer the questions of what, how, and when; it’s
measurable. Jean, a working wife and mother, decided to simplify her
life by getting rid of the excess clutter she and her family
had accumulated over the years. In January, she set the goal
to clean out one drawer, cupboard, or closet each week. It
was a specific, realistic, measurable goal; at the end of each
week either she’d cleaned out something or she hadn’t. She
had a means to track her progress.
By April, Jean was still going strong on her “decluttering”
routine. She explains, “The sense of accomplishment I
felt as I measured my weekly progress kept me motivated
to start the next week’s clean-up. Today, my house feels
less cluttered, and my life seems simpler because I tackle
overwhelming tasks by breaking them into smaller jobs and
keeping track of my progress.”
4) Think short-term and long-term. Short-term goals
(cleaning one closet a week) allow us to experience success
at smaller intervals while working toward long-term goals
(decluttering an entire house).
Sally was overwhelmed by the accumulating debt she and
her husband were facing, so they met with a financial
advisor who counseled them to develop both short-term and
long-term financial objectives by using weekly, monthly,
and yearly goals. “I never thought I’d like being on a
budget,” Sally recalls. “But it was freeing. When I looked
at our debt as a whole, it was too big to deal with, but by
working on it in smaller bites, it seemed okay.” After three
years of sticking to their short- and long-term goals, Sally
and her husband are now debt free.
Finances and organizing things aren’t the only areas in
which to set short- and long-term goals. You can use them
in virtually any area of life: education, child-rearing, family
life, athletics, community service, church service, personal
and spiritual growth, marriage.
When our three children were small, my husband, Don,
and I discovered how easily parenting could cause us to
grow apart. We decided to guard the health of our marriage
by setting the following goals: We’ll go out on a date once
a month; we’ll go away together without the kids for one
overnight per year; every five years we’ll attend a marriage
seminar. Over the years, Don and I stuck to our goals, and
today, as parents of three teens, we’re still best friends.
The short-term and long-term worked together to build and
maintain a healthy marriage.
5) Be flexible. Linda, who’s self-employed,
recently faced this challenge: “I’m trying to expand my home
business, so I set some fairly aggressive goals. Little did
I know my family would become victims of the flu. Now, healthy
once again, I’m struggling to make up for lost time. I hope to
get back on track, but I never considered that life might get
in the way.”
Life can, indeed, get in the way. Two years ago, I planned
to jog 500 miles over the course of a year. That worked out
to be 2 miles a day, 5 days per week, 50 weeks out of the
year. It was a specific, realistic, measurable, short-term
and long-term goal. I was well on my way to achieving that
goal when I hurt my knee. Did I quit? No. I wanted to stay in
shape, so I learned to be content walking. I had to become
flexible, which allowed me to stay on course, and ultimately
contributed to my healing; walking gave my injured knee a
chance to recover. After my knee healed, I started running
again.
6) Review periodically. Regular review allows
us to stay on course, track our progress, and adjust course as
necessary. Each year I record my goals in my datebook/planner so
they’re accessible wherever I go. In a section marked
“goals,” I list specific objectives by category: personal/
spiritual; marriage/family; professional; ministry; house/
projects. Then I set aside one Sunday every three months for
reviewing my goals. On those “review dates,” I check off the
items I’ve accomplished. (What satisfaction!) Next, I look at
what remains, and prayerfully ask the following questions:
• How am I doing? Am I still on course?
• Which goals am I encouraged about?
• Which are frustrating me? Can I be more flexible?
• Have circumstances changed since I set this goal?
• Is my goal realistic? Specific? Measurable?
• If not, what could I change to make it more so?
• Is this the right season of life to work on this?
• Have I prayed about this goal?
Based on my answers, I make any necessary changes,
sometimes crossing off objectives that are too ambitious
or impossible to fulfill because of changing circumstances.
I finish my review time by prayerfully committing my
remaining goals to God. Regular review helps me not only
to stay on track, but to guard against over-commitment and
burnout.
Goal setting helps you realize objectives are simply tools,
not promises or laws, and tools are something we can implement
anytime. As counselor Leslie Vernick says, “Don’t let falling
off track keep you from your goals. Dust yourself off and get
right back on track.” Leave yesterday’s failures behind, and
treat today as a brand-new beginning. You’ll be glad you did.
Prepare
Create a rough draft of one of your spiritual growth goals.
Make sure your goal is specific, realistic, and measurable.
If you want to share it with everyone, post it in the comment section!
Try these six steps for setting goals more effectively:
1) Be specific. In my work as a teacher coordinator, I meet
with Bible study teachers to help them set personal and
ministry goals. At one such meeting, a teacher mentioned her
personal goal for the year was to “grow in Bible knowledge.”
While her desire was admirable, I had to ask a number of
questions: “How will you know when you’ve grown?” “What
does growth in Bible knowledge look like?” “What steps will
you take to foster this growth?” Her goal needed to be more
specific.
As I worked with this teacher, we were able to revise her
goal from the vague—“I’ll grow in Bible knowledge”—to the
specific—“I’ll spend 30 minutes a day in personal Bible study,
5 days a week.” Her goal now expressed not only her desire,
but the means to accomplish it.
2) Be realistic. During my college years I wanted to pray
more. So I decided to rise every morning at 5 A.M. and pray
for an hour before breakfast. But I also worked as the closing
cook for Pizza Hut at that time, and rarely made it back to my
dorm room before 2 A.M. How long did my prayer endeavor
last? About two days. And in those two days I spent more
time sleeping than praying.
In a recent interview, I spoke with Christian counselor
Leslie Vernick who said, “If our goals begin to overwhelm us
perhaps that is a sign we are not living within the limits
and boundaries. God has created for us. We are human beings.
We all need to eat, sleep, and relax. Yet, at times we push
ourselves in [ways] that [ignore] these realities at least
temporarily. Then, when we can’t do it anymore we give up.
Instead, we should reassess our goal. Perhaps it was totally
unrealistic.”
My goal of early morning prayer was unrealistic in light of
my work schedule, my class schedule, and my need for sleep.
When I realized that, I replaced my original goal with a plan
more suited to my schedule: I’d pray during my 15-minute
breaks between afternoon classes 3 days a week. During my
afternoon break I sat on a park bench near my classrooms
and prayed. Unlike my first attempt, this three-afternoons-aweek
prayer endeavor lasted the entire semester. My prayer
life grew because my goal was realistic.
3) Include a way to measure your success. A good goal
will answer the questions of what, how, and when; it’s
measurable. Jean, a working wife and mother, decided to simplify her
life by getting rid of the excess clutter she and her family
had accumulated over the years. In January, she set the goal
to clean out one drawer, cupboard, or closet each week. It
was a specific, realistic, measurable goal; at the end of each
week either she’d cleaned out something or she hadn’t. She
had a means to track her progress.
By April, Jean was still going strong on her “decluttering”
routine. She explains, “The sense of accomplishment I
felt as I measured my weekly progress kept me motivated
to start the next week’s clean-up. Today, my house feels
less cluttered, and my life seems simpler because I tackle
overwhelming tasks by breaking them into smaller jobs and
keeping track of my progress.”
4) Think short-term and long-term. Short-term goals
(cleaning one closet a week) allow us to experience success
at smaller intervals while working toward long-term goals
(decluttering an entire house).
Sally was overwhelmed by the accumulating debt she and
her husband were facing, so they met with a financial
advisor who counseled them to develop both short-term and
long-term financial objectives by using weekly, monthly,
and yearly goals. “I never thought I’d like being on a
budget,” Sally recalls. “But it was freeing. When I looked
at our debt as a whole, it was too big to deal with, but by
working on it in smaller bites, it seemed okay.” After three
years of sticking to their short- and long-term goals, Sally
and her husband are now debt free.
Finances and organizing things aren’t the only areas in
which to set short- and long-term goals. You can use them
in virtually any area of life: education, child-rearing, family
life, athletics, community service, church service, personal
and spiritual growth, marriage.
When our three children were small, my husband, Don,
and I discovered how easily parenting could cause us to
grow apart. We decided to guard the health of our marriage
by setting the following goals: We’ll go out on a date once
a month; we’ll go away together without the kids for one
overnight per year; every five years we’ll attend a marriage
seminar. Over the years, Don and I stuck to our goals, and
today, as parents of three teens, we’re still best friends.
The short-term and long-term worked together to build and
maintain a healthy marriage.
5) Be flexible. Linda, who’s self-employed,
recently faced this challenge: “I’m trying to expand my home
business, so I set some fairly aggressive goals. Little did
I know my family would become victims of the flu. Now, healthy
once again, I’m struggling to make up for lost time. I hope to
get back on track, but I never considered that life might get
in the way.”
Life can, indeed, get in the way. Two years ago, I planned
to jog 500 miles over the course of a year. That worked out
to be 2 miles a day, 5 days per week, 50 weeks out of the
year. It was a specific, realistic, measurable, short-term
and long-term goal. I was well on my way to achieving that
goal when I hurt my knee. Did I quit? No. I wanted to stay in
shape, so I learned to be content walking. I had to become
flexible, which allowed me to stay on course, and ultimately
contributed to my healing; walking gave my injured knee a
chance to recover. After my knee healed, I started running
again.
6) Review periodically. Regular review allows
us to stay on course, track our progress, and adjust course as
necessary. Each year I record my goals in my datebook/planner so
they’re accessible wherever I go. In a section marked
“goals,” I list specific objectives by category: personal/
spiritual; marriage/family; professional; ministry; house/
projects. Then I set aside one Sunday every three months for
reviewing my goals. On those “review dates,” I check off the
items I’ve accomplished. (What satisfaction!) Next, I look at
what remains, and prayerfully ask the following questions:
• How am I doing? Am I still on course?
• Which goals am I encouraged about?
• Which are frustrating me? Can I be more flexible?
• Have circumstances changed since I set this goal?
• Is my goal realistic? Specific? Measurable?
• If not, what could I change to make it more so?
• Is this the right season of life to work on this?
• Have I prayed about this goal?
Based on my answers, I make any necessary changes,
sometimes crossing off objectives that are too ambitious
or impossible to fulfill because of changing circumstances.
I finish my review time by prayerfully committing my
remaining goals to God. Regular review helps me not only
to stay on track, but to guard against over-commitment and
burnout.
Goal setting helps you realize objectives are simply tools,
not promises or laws, and tools are something we can implement
anytime. As counselor Leslie Vernick says, “Don’t let falling
off track keep you from your goals. Dust yourself off and get
right back on track.” Leave yesterday’s failures behind, and
treat today as a brand-new beginning. You’ll be glad you did.
Prepare
Create a rough draft of one of your spiritual growth goals.
Make sure your goal is specific, realistic, and measurable.
If you want to share it with everyone, post it in the comment section!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Getting God’s Help with Stress
by Joyce Meyer
Today it seems like everyone’s stressed.
Yes, it’s true that we’re built to withstand a certain amount of stress, and it can help us to become better problem solvers. But we shouldn’t be so stressed that we can’t handle our day-to-day life.
There’s only so much we can take.
For example, a chair is designed to bear a certain amount of weight. And if it’s used properly, it should last a very long time. But if it consistently bears more weight than it was designed to hold, it will wear out prematurely and eventually break.
You and I were also designed to bear a certain amount of physical, mental and emotional strain. When we take on more than we can handle, we eventually break down.
The Way to Set Limits
A word we don’t hear much about today is prudence. It means “careful management: economy.”
In the Bible, prudence or prudent means “being good stewards or managers of the gifts God has given us to use.” Those gifts include time, energy, strength and health—even material possessions. They include our bodies, as well as our minds and spirits.
Just as each one of us has been given a different set of gifts, each of us has been given different levels of ability to manage those gifts.
We need to know our limits, and prevent ourselves from reaching “full capacity” or “overload.”
Instead of pushing ourselves too hard to please others or reach our own personal goals, we need to listen to God and do what He’s telling us is wise.
We need to learn to put God’s wisdom into practice so we can enjoy our lives.
Your First Step to Beating Stress
Did you know that anything can cause stress? Stressors can be big or little things. In addition, what causes you stress may not bother someone else. And what bothers you today may not bother you tomorrow.
For example, going to the grocery store may be a stressor for you, especially if money is tight. The checker in your lane runs out of change and has to shut down temporarily. You switch to a new lane and learn five of your items don’t have a price on them. The checker has to call for a price check and the line behind you grows.
Small, seemingly innocent circumstances have a way of piling up until you finally explode from the pressure.
Nobody can remove all the big and little things that cause stress in our lives. So we must learn to identify our stressors, study how they affect us, and learn how to respond correctly.
Fine-Tuning Your Approach
The world responds to difficulties by becoming upset and stressed, but our attitude and approach should be entirely different.
When we approach a circumstance already stressed out, we’re setting ourselves up for misery before we begin.
The right approach can completely turn a situation around.
Instead of stressing out and tensing up, calm down, take a deep breath and try to get some perspective on the situation. Refuse to allow your circumstances to dictate how you’re going to feel.
You may not be able to control the situation, but you can control how you respond to it. Take a proactive approach and decide beforehand what your attitude will be.
A right attitude opens the door for God to supernaturally help you.
Today it seems like everyone’s stressed.
Yes, it’s true that we’re built to withstand a certain amount of stress, and it can help us to become better problem solvers. But we shouldn’t be so stressed that we can’t handle our day-to-day life.
There’s only so much we can take.
For example, a chair is designed to bear a certain amount of weight. And if it’s used properly, it should last a very long time. But if it consistently bears more weight than it was designed to hold, it will wear out prematurely and eventually break.
You and I were also designed to bear a certain amount of physical, mental and emotional strain. When we take on more than we can handle, we eventually break down.
The Way to Set Limits
A word we don’t hear much about today is prudence. It means “careful management: economy.”
In the Bible, prudence or prudent means “being good stewards or managers of the gifts God has given us to use.” Those gifts include time, energy, strength and health—even material possessions. They include our bodies, as well as our minds and spirits.
Just as each one of us has been given a different set of gifts, each of us has been given different levels of ability to manage those gifts.
We need to know our limits, and prevent ourselves from reaching “full capacity” or “overload.”
Instead of pushing ourselves too hard to please others or reach our own personal goals, we need to listen to God and do what He’s telling us is wise.
We need to learn to put God’s wisdom into practice so we can enjoy our lives.
Your First Step to Beating Stress
Did you know that anything can cause stress? Stressors can be big or little things. In addition, what causes you stress may not bother someone else. And what bothers you today may not bother you tomorrow.
For example, going to the grocery store may be a stressor for you, especially if money is tight. The checker in your lane runs out of change and has to shut down temporarily. You switch to a new lane and learn five of your items don’t have a price on them. The checker has to call for a price check and the line behind you grows.
Small, seemingly innocent circumstances have a way of piling up until you finally explode from the pressure.
Nobody can remove all the big and little things that cause stress in our lives. So we must learn to identify our stressors, study how they affect us, and learn how to respond correctly.
Fine-Tuning Your Approach
The world responds to difficulties by becoming upset and stressed, but our attitude and approach should be entirely different.
When we approach a circumstance already stressed out, we’re setting ourselves up for misery before we begin.
The right approach can completely turn a situation around.
Instead of stressing out and tensing up, calm down, take a deep breath and try to get some perspective on the situation. Refuse to allow your circumstances to dictate how you’re going to feel.
You may not be able to control the situation, but you can control how you respond to it. Take a proactive approach and decide beforehand what your attitude will be.
A right attitude opens the door for God to supernaturally help you.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Taking a Sharpie to your List
Eliminating goals and other commitments
may be the best thing for you.
By Kelli B. Trujillo
No offense, but I’m crossing your name off my list
with a big black Sharpie.
I’m not crossing you out of my life—just off my list.
It’s not crossing you off because you’re unimportant
or because I don’t care or because I don’t think
you’re cool.
Blackening your name off isn’t easy for me,
but I’ve got to do it.
It’s not you; it’s me.
And I’m not superwoman.
Sorry, but I’ve got to do this . . .
Blackening your name off isn’t easy for me,
but I’ve got to do it.
It’s not you; it’s me.
And I’m not superwoman.
Sorry,but I’ve got to do this...
Screech . . . (Sound of Sharpie on paper.)
This one-sided dialogue was repeated in various forms in my
mind throughout a revolutionary hour I spent with a blue
index card, a pencil, and a big, bad, black Sharpie.
Before that hour, my life looked a bit like this . . .
There were the various groups I was already a part of: a book
club, a ministry group, a home group, a Sunday-school-class
group, and a few various committees peppered in here and
there. Then there were the groups I felt interested in joining
or guilty about not participating in or somewhat pressured to
be a part of: Wednesday morning women’s Bible study, a
mentoring program at church, three more committees and
ministry groups at church, and various parent volunteer
groups at my kids’ schools.
There were also all sorts of various relationships I was trying
to maintain: “outreach” relationships with neighbors,
relatives, friends, international students, and a regular
Jehovah’s Witness door-to-door visitor. Then of course there
were the close friends who live far away in Portland and
Boulder and Istanbul and Grand Rapids and Chicago. Then
there were the Christian friends who are close by, from my
present church, from my old church, from MOPS, from book
club, from here, there, and everywhere. Then of course my
family: my husband, my son, my daughter, my sister, my
brother, my sisters- and brothers-in-law, my nieces, my
parents, my parents-in-law, my aunts and uncles, and my
fabulous 17-year-old cousin. Oh, and there were the people
I’m trying to invest in and encourage, like the newlywed
couple we go on double-dates with, the single mom I’m
encouraging, the new Christian I studied the Bible with at
Starbucks on occasional Friday mornings, the mom-friends
who I swapped parenting advice with and . . . well, trust me,
I could go on and on.
And along with groups and relationships, there were
spiritual growth habits, exercise goals, personal aspirations,
various other neglected hobbies, work commitments, and
household tasks. I felt like Bilbo Baggins when he told
Gandalf, “I feel . . . thin. Sort of stretched, like . . . butter
scraped over too much bread.”
Ignatius of Loyola outlined the spiritual practice of examen or
“examination of conscience” in his Spiritual Exercises written
in 1522-1524. In essence, examen is the habit of help, on your
thoughts and actions during a given period of time and considering
how your life matches up with what God desires for you. Christians
from various traditions throughout the centuries have practiced the
habit of examen in various forms, from formal Ignatian prayers to
John Wesley’s brutal accountability questions to simple private
reflection on the life-giving and death-dealing moments of one’s day.
(You can read John Wesley’s accountability questions in “Do You
Desire to be Told Your Faults?” from www.ChristianityToday.com and
you can also find Ignatius’ description of examen here. )
I knew I needed to assess more than one day. I needed to
look with God at my pattern of living over weeks and
months and years. I knew that rather than living with
purpose, I was aiming for hundreds of targets and missing
most of them. Rather than living richly, I was left spiritually
and emotionally poor. Rather than enjoying deep and
meaningful relationships, I’d become thin, listless butter.
Hence, the appointment with the Sharpie for some lifestyle examen.
I filled that card with every commitment I’ve got, every
person I’m trying to care for and encourage, every task or
person I feel guilty about not attending to, and every dream
I’m neglecting. I jam packed every centimeter of that poor
little card. And then I sighed.
And then I prayed.
“Lord, help me,” I prayed. “Help me get a grip. Help me get a
grip, first, on my outrageously huge view of myself. (I am
not Atlas—nor do I want to be!) Then help me see your
vision for my life and grasp onto it.
“Then Lord, help me loosen my grip on all those other things
I’m holding on to and trying to do but just . . . well, just
can’t.”
And after some prayer and after some silent staring and
after quite a bit of inner wrestling with self-imposed guilt,
I put that Sharpie to work.
I crossed several commitments and goals off that list.
(That wasn’t so hard.)
But then I literally crossed several people off that list.
(That was hard. It felt very . . . mean.)
But that blacked, blotchy, barely legible card became a
target for me. A clear, defined target to focus on that freed
me to obey and follow God’s leading rather than chasing
after all my own notions of what it means to serve him and
live life.
So if I crossed you off my list, I’m
sorry. You’ll never know you got crossed out because I’ll still be
kind and I’ll still enjoy being with you and I’ll still meet you
for coffee if you ask.
But I’m called by God to invest my energies elsewhere.
And if that’s fine with him, it’s fine with me.
Kelli B. Trujillo's newest book is Faith-Filled Moments: Helping Kids
See God in Everyday Life (Wesleyan). She blogs at www.kellitrujillo.com.
Prepare
In terms of your goals, commitments, and relationships,
are you aiming for too many targets? Are there things you
need to cross off your “list” in order to live a more healthy,
balanced (and sane!) life? Muster up the courage to write
them here in the comments or down on a piece of paper at home. Pray
about this list, ask God for His direction.
may be the best thing for you.
By Kelli B. Trujillo
No offense, but I’m crossing your name off my list
with a big black Sharpie.
I’m not crossing you out of my life—just off my list.
It’s not crossing you off because you’re unimportant
or because I don’t care or because I don’t think
you’re cool.
Blackening your name off isn’t easy for me,
but I’ve got to do it.
It’s not you; it’s me.
And I’m not superwoman.
Sorry, but I’ve got to do this . . .
Blackening your name off isn’t easy for me,
but I’ve got to do it.
It’s not you; it’s me.
And I’m not superwoman.
Sorry,but I’ve got to do this...
Screech . . . (Sound of Sharpie on paper.)
This one-sided dialogue was repeated in various forms in my
mind throughout a revolutionary hour I spent with a blue
index card, a pencil, and a big, bad, black Sharpie.
Before that hour, my life looked a bit like this . . .
There were the various groups I was already a part of: a book
club, a ministry group, a home group, a Sunday-school-class
group, and a few various committees peppered in here and
there. Then there were the groups I felt interested in joining
or guilty about not participating in or somewhat pressured to
be a part of: Wednesday morning women’s Bible study, a
mentoring program at church, three more committees and
ministry groups at church, and various parent volunteer
groups at my kids’ schools.
There were also all sorts of various relationships I was trying
to maintain: “outreach” relationships with neighbors,
relatives, friends, international students, and a regular
Jehovah’s Witness door-to-door visitor. Then of course there
were the close friends who live far away in Portland and
Boulder and Istanbul and Grand Rapids and Chicago. Then
there were the Christian friends who are close by, from my
present church, from my old church, from MOPS, from book
club, from here, there, and everywhere. Then of course my
family: my husband, my son, my daughter, my sister, my
brother, my sisters- and brothers-in-law, my nieces, my
parents, my parents-in-law, my aunts and uncles, and my
fabulous 17-year-old cousin. Oh, and there were the people
I’m trying to invest in and encourage, like the newlywed
couple we go on double-dates with, the single mom I’m
encouraging, the new Christian I studied the Bible with at
Starbucks on occasional Friday mornings, the mom-friends
who I swapped parenting advice with and . . . well, trust me,
I could go on and on.
And along with groups and relationships, there were
spiritual growth habits, exercise goals, personal aspirations,
various other neglected hobbies, work commitments, and
household tasks. I felt like Bilbo Baggins when he told
Gandalf, “I feel . . . thin. Sort of stretched, like . . . butter
scraped over too much bread.”
Ignatius of Loyola outlined the spiritual practice of examen or
“examination of conscience” in his Spiritual Exercises written
in 1522-1524. In essence, examen is the habit of help, on your
thoughts and actions during a given period of time and considering
how your life matches up with what God desires for you. Christians
from various traditions throughout the centuries have practiced the
habit of examen in various forms, from formal Ignatian prayers to
John Wesley’s brutal accountability questions to simple private
reflection on the life-giving and death-dealing moments of one’s day.
(You can read John Wesley’s accountability questions in “Do You
Desire to be Told Your Faults?” from www.ChristianityToday.com and
you can also find Ignatius’ description of examen here. )
I knew I needed to assess more than one day. I needed to
look with God at my pattern of living over weeks and
months and years. I knew that rather than living with
purpose, I was aiming for hundreds of targets and missing
most of them. Rather than living richly, I was left spiritually
and emotionally poor. Rather than enjoying deep and
meaningful relationships, I’d become thin, listless butter.
Hence, the appointment with the Sharpie for some lifestyle examen.
I filled that card with every commitment I’ve got, every
person I’m trying to care for and encourage, every task or
person I feel guilty about not attending to, and every dream
I’m neglecting. I jam packed every centimeter of that poor
little card. And then I sighed.
And then I prayed.
“Lord, help me,” I prayed. “Help me get a grip. Help me get a
grip, first, on my outrageously huge view of myself. (I am
not Atlas—nor do I want to be!) Then help me see your
vision for my life and grasp onto it.
“Then Lord, help me loosen my grip on all those other things
I’m holding on to and trying to do but just . . . well, just
can’t.”
And after some prayer and after some silent staring and
after quite a bit of inner wrestling with self-imposed guilt,
I put that Sharpie to work.
I crossed several commitments and goals off that list.
(That wasn’t so hard.)
But then I literally crossed several people off that list.
(That was hard. It felt very . . . mean.)
But that blacked, blotchy, barely legible card became a
target for me. A clear, defined target to focus on that freed
me to obey and follow God’s leading rather than chasing
after all my own notions of what it means to serve him and
live life.
So if I crossed you off my list, I’m
sorry. You’ll never know you got crossed out because I’ll still be
kind and I’ll still enjoy being with you and I’ll still meet you
for coffee if you ask.
But I’m called by God to invest my energies elsewhere.
And if that’s fine with him, it’s fine with me.
Kelli B. Trujillo's newest book is Faith-Filled Moments: Helping Kids
See God in Everyday Life (Wesleyan). She blogs at www.kellitrujillo.com.
Prepare
In terms of your goals, commitments, and relationships,
are you aiming for too many targets? Are there things you
need to cross off your “list” in order to live a more healthy,
balanced (and sane!) life? Muster up the courage to write
them here in the comments or down on a piece of paper at home. Pray
about this list, ask God for His direction.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Multi-tasking Mayhem
This was sent to me by Julie Stedman today. It fits perfectly with our topic this week of busyness and making time for God. I hope you enjoy it and are challenged by it!
It is taken from Proverbs 31 Ministries' daily email, written by Karen Ehman.
"But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me." Psalm 31:14-15 (NIV)
"Mom, quick…look at that lady!" My fourteen-year-old-in-driver's-education-child shouted at me as we were headed down Michigan's US-27 interstate on an errand-running Thursday afternoon. "She should not be doing that," he added for emphasis.
I glanced over at the car next to us, expecting to see someone without her hands gripped properly at the ten and two o'clock positions like my by-the-rulebook-boy does when he is behind the wheel. Instead, I nearly ran off the road while gawking at what my resident Driver's Ed patrolman had spotted.
Next to us was a woman who was doing all of the following: talking on a cell phone by cradling it on her right shoulder, holding an open fast-food salad container in her left hand, ripping open a salad dressing packet with her teeth and her right hand…all while steering her car with her knees! What in the world!? My boys and I thought surely, if she kept up this multi-tasking method of driving, she was going to cause a crash.
"I would NEVER attempt to do all of that when I drive", I smugly thought to myself. "Entirely too dangerous and probably against the law." Yep, when it comes to being a safe-driving etiquette expert, the apple doesn't fall far from the "Honey-you-didn't-use-your-blinker-back-there" maternal tree.
It wasn't until later that night that it hit me. Yes, I may not try to dangerously multi-task when it comes to driving my car, thereby putting myself and others at risk of a collision. But in my day-to-day life? In my schedule? In my "sure-I-can-take-on-one-more-responsibility-so-everyone-will-like-me" way? Well, I sometimes dangerously multi-task to the point where I too am headed for a crash.
God nudged my heart a few years back, after dealing with some stress-related medical conditions that would not go away, that I needed to do a major plate scraping in my life. Taking on too many responsibilities, no matter how "good" they may be, can often render women ineffective for service to God. He knows our limits. He understands are capacities. He is willing, if we will ask Him, to help us navigate the waters of busyness and activity that often drown many a woman.
On one of my so-busy-I-couldn't-breathe days, I read today's verse. While I'm sure that the author David was talking about actual physical enemies -- men who could chase you, catch you and ultimately hurt you – I thought that day of busyness as the enemy. Too many activities and responsibilities outside of my four walls were abou t to do me in. They chased me, they cornered me and worst of all, they were about to go in for the kill.
Thankfully, God rescued me from the barren life of busyness. And He can do the same for you. He's longing for us to hold our too-full plates up to Him, scrape off all the activities and responsibilities, and then, place back on our plates only the items HE longs for us to possess.
Then, we can create white space in our calendar and places of sweet respite in our days where we can connect with the God of the universe who is just waiting for us to slow down and sit still; to listen and learn from the very Creator of time itself.
So, how about it friend? Rubber spatula ready? Keep reading below and let's start scraping before we crash and burn!
Dear Lord, Forgive me for allowing busyness to overtake my life, crowding out others and worst of all You. Help me as I purpose to place only those items on my plate that You long for me to have. In Jesus ' Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
List on paper all the commitments you have said yes to outside of your job or home responsibilities. Catalog approximately how much time you devote to them each week. Pray about what you discover.
Power Verses:
Matthew 6:33-34, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (ESV)
Genesis 2:2, "And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done." (ESV)
Reflections: (post your comment on these questions...I know you can do it!)
What activities and responsibilities have I said "Yes" to that I know in my heart I shouldn't have?
How can I thin out my optional tasks and duties, freeing up more time for the places where God wants me to focus my efforts?
It is taken from Proverbs 31 Ministries' daily email, written by Karen Ehman.
"But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me." Psalm 31:14-15 (NIV)
"Mom, quick…look at that lady!" My fourteen-year-old-in-driver's-education-child shouted at me as we were headed down Michigan's US-27 interstate on an errand-running Thursday afternoon. "She should not be doing that," he added for emphasis.
I glanced over at the car next to us, expecting to see someone without her hands gripped properly at the ten and two o'clock positions like my by-the-rulebook-boy does when he is behind the wheel. Instead, I nearly ran off the road while gawking at what my resident Driver's Ed patrolman had spotted.
Next to us was a woman who was doing all of the following: talking on a cell phone by cradling it on her right shoulder, holding an open fast-food salad container in her left hand, ripping open a salad dressing packet with her teeth and her right hand…all while steering her car with her knees! What in the world!? My boys and I thought surely, if she kept up this multi-tasking method of driving, she was going to cause a crash.
"I would NEVER attempt to do all of that when I drive", I smugly thought to myself. "Entirely too dangerous and probably against the law." Yep, when it comes to being a safe-driving etiquette expert, the apple doesn't fall far from the "Honey-you-didn't-use-your-blinker-back-there" maternal tree.
It wasn't until later that night that it hit me. Yes, I may not try to dangerously multi-task when it comes to driving my car, thereby putting myself and others at risk of a collision. But in my day-to-day life? In my schedule? In my "sure-I-can-take-on-one-more-responsibility-so-everyone-will-like-me" way? Well, I sometimes dangerously multi-task to the point where I too am headed for a crash.
God nudged my heart a few years back, after dealing with some stress-related medical conditions that would not go away, that I needed to do a major plate scraping in my life. Taking on too many responsibilities, no matter how "good" they may be, can often render women ineffective for service to God. He knows our limits. He understands are capacities. He is willing, if we will ask Him, to help us navigate the waters of busyness and activity that often drown many a woman.
On one of my so-busy-I-couldn't-breathe days, I read today's verse. While I'm sure that the author David was talking about actual physical enemies -- men who could chase you, catch you and ultimately hurt you – I thought that day of busyness as the enemy. Too many activities and responsibilities outside of my four walls were abou t to do me in. They chased me, they cornered me and worst of all, they were about to go in for the kill.
Thankfully, God rescued me from the barren life of busyness. And He can do the same for you. He's longing for us to hold our too-full plates up to Him, scrape off all the activities and responsibilities, and then, place back on our plates only the items HE longs for us to possess.
Then, we can create white space in our calendar and places of sweet respite in our days where we can connect with the God of the universe who is just waiting for us to slow down and sit still; to listen and learn from the very Creator of time itself.
So, how about it friend? Rubber spatula ready? Keep reading below and let's start scraping before we crash and burn!
Dear Lord, Forgive me for allowing busyness to overtake my life, crowding out others and worst of all You. Help me as I purpose to place only those items on my plate that You long for me to have. In Jesus ' Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
List on paper all the commitments you have said yes to outside of your job or home responsibilities. Catalog approximately how much time you devote to them each week. Pray about what you discover.
Power Verses:
Matthew 6:33-34, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (ESV)
Genesis 2:2, "And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done." (ESV)
Reflections: (post your comment on these questions...I know you can do it!)
What activities and responsibilities have I said "Yes" to that I know in my heart I shouldn't have?
How can I thin out my optional tasks and duties, freeing up more time for the places where God wants me to focus my efforts?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Busyness
"Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Luke 5:15-16
My TNIV Bible has application inserts scattered throughout. This one grabbed my attention recently. It follows the scripture above.
" Jesus knew the pressure of a packed schedule. Crowds of people clamored for his attention. The Pharisees continually attacked him. Teaching his followers required a huge investment of his time. Yet he never let his schedule rule over him. He knew the mission God had given him and he didn't allow others' demands dictate how he spent his time. He was never too busy to focus on what was most important - including time alone with his Father. If you're too busy to spend time with God, then perhaps you're too busy."
Ouch. Does that hit any of you "where it hurts" like it does me? Even if our commitments are good ones, or necessary ones, like taking care of our children, homes, etc. they can take us away from having time with Him. Jesus wants our first fruits but often gets our last fruits, our left overs. Even if a quiet time isn't possible in your schedule today, how can you show him that you love Him today?
My TNIV Bible has application inserts scattered throughout. This one grabbed my attention recently. It follows the scripture above.
" Jesus knew the pressure of a packed schedule. Crowds of people clamored for his attention. The Pharisees continually attacked him. Teaching his followers required a huge investment of his time. Yet he never let his schedule rule over him. He knew the mission God had given him and he didn't allow others' demands dictate how he spent his time. He was never too busy to focus on what was most important - including time alone with his Father. If you're too busy to spend time with God, then perhaps you're too busy."
Ouch. Does that hit any of you "where it hurts" like it does me? Even if our commitments are good ones, or necessary ones, like taking care of our children, homes, etc. they can take us away from having time with Him. Jesus wants our first fruits but often gets our last fruits, our left overs. Even if a quiet time isn't possible in your schedule today, how can you show him that you love Him today?
Monday, January 25, 2010
5 Goals Worth Striving For
By Susan Alexander Yates
I’ve felt this way many times. But I’ve also learned to
reassess the way I’ve been living—and the way I want to live.
Here are five things to do any time of the year:
1. To reach someone who doesn’t know Christ
Perhaps like me, you’re tempted to spend all your time with
fellow Christians—people just like you. Yet at the same time,
God commands us to be salt and light in the world (Matthew
5:13–16); that won’t happen if we spend all our time with
believers.
For example, my friend Sandy took an active interest in a
neighbor named Carol. Sandy invited Carol over for lunch
and took her to a craft show. Although Carol and her husband
didn’t have children, Sandy included her in things she did
with her kids. Carol and her husband weren’t believers
and didn’t attend church, but out of curiosity, they soon
began attending with their new friends. After a period of
time, both Carol and her husband became believers. It all
began because Sandy was intent on reaching out in genuine
friendship to non-believers.
This year, resolve to befriend someone who’s not a
Christian. She may be a coworker, neighbor, your child’s
teacher, even your hair stylist. While reaching out feels
scary, when you take the risk, you’ll see God work through
you in exciting ways!
2. To become a grateful person
I used to wake up in the morning thinking about all the
things I had to do and all the people who needed me. I got
depressed before I even got out of bed! I realized I needed an
attitude adjustment. So I started meditating on one of God’s
character traits the moment I awoke. As I lay quietly in my
bed, thinking about how awesome God is, my perspective on
the day changed dramatically!
No one enjoys being around whining kids. But when
they’re grateful, it’s delightful. In the same way, when we
appreciate God, it thrills his heart. My friend Elaine says,
“The practice of thanksgiving is the discipline that helps
us experience God’s love.” Your disposition permeates the
atmosphere of your home. Do you want to raise positive
kids? Then resolve to become a woman of gratitude. You’ll
have a positive impact on generations to come.
3. To spend more quality time with my spouse
My husband, John, and I used to have a wonderful raspberry
patch. In the early years I carefully tended it, and it
produced prolific crops. Then I got busy with carpools and
commitments, and before I knew it, weeds took over and my
raspberries died out.
A marriage can become like my raspberry patch. We get
busy with kids, career, church, elderly parents, and
volunteer needs. We think, I’ll spend time on my
marriage when life calms down. The problem is, life never does.
Don’t let the weeds of “other important things”—even your
children—choke your marriage. Resolve to nurture it. This
year, ask the question, What can I do to help my husband and
I grow closer together? Begin by making a commitment to a
weekly date together—an evening, a breakfast, an afternoon.
Keep in mind, your children’s sense of security is built on
the knowledge you love them, but it greatly increases when
they know you love their dad. You’re raising future husbands
and wives who need to know a happy marriage takes time.
If they see you nurturing yours, they’ll learn a tremendous
lesson.
4. To say “no” to something!
Okay, we all know there are simply too many demands, too
many choices, and too little time. But part of maturing means
learning to postpone something you’d really like to do now
to another season of life in order to focus on something even
more important. Maybe it’s that career opportunity so you
can have more time with your children, or that outing with
your friends so you’re around when your teens have their
friends at your house. Maybe you need to say “no” to your
kids being in yet another sports team so your family can
have dinner together.
Ask yourself, in 10 years, what will matter most—that you
signed your child up for yet another activity and spent
evenings apart, or said “no” and had family dinners together?
Or that you participated in yet another committee, or said
“no” so you could spend more time with your husband?
5. To pursue Christ with fresh vigor
Do you sometimes feel as though your relationship with
Christ is stale? I sure do. But when that happens, I pray
King David’s prayer, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:12).
Resolve to recapture that joy. Vary what you normally do for
your time alone with God. Decide on a new topic for Bible
study. Begin a fresh journal.
If you make some changes but still feel stale, ask God to show
you the reason. Is there sin in your life you’re ignoring? A
wrong relationship, self-pity, jealousy? The writer to the
Hebrews encourages us to “throw off everything that hinders
and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes
on Jesus” (12:1–2). That’s one resolution you can’t afford to
break!
Prepare
Which of the five goals jumped out at you? Why?
What are some other personal, spiritual, or relational
goals that have been on your mind lately? Please answer in the
comment section below or discuss with your MAP partner.
I’ve felt this way many times. But I’ve also learned to
reassess the way I’ve been living—and the way I want to live.
Here are five things to do any time of the year:
1. To reach someone who doesn’t know Christ
Perhaps like me, you’re tempted to spend all your time with
fellow Christians—people just like you. Yet at the same time,
God commands us to be salt and light in the world (Matthew
5:13–16); that won’t happen if we spend all our time with
believers.
For example, my friend Sandy took an active interest in a
neighbor named Carol. Sandy invited Carol over for lunch
and took her to a craft show. Although Carol and her husband
didn’t have children, Sandy included her in things she did
with her kids. Carol and her husband weren’t believers
and didn’t attend church, but out of curiosity, they soon
began attending with their new friends. After a period of
time, both Carol and her husband became believers. It all
began because Sandy was intent on reaching out in genuine
friendship to non-believers.
This year, resolve to befriend someone who’s not a
Christian. She may be a coworker, neighbor, your child’s
teacher, even your hair stylist. While reaching out feels
scary, when you take the risk, you’ll see God work through
you in exciting ways!
2. To become a grateful person
I used to wake up in the morning thinking about all the
things I had to do and all the people who needed me. I got
depressed before I even got out of bed! I realized I needed an
attitude adjustment. So I started meditating on one of God’s
character traits the moment I awoke. As I lay quietly in my
bed, thinking about how awesome God is, my perspective on
the day changed dramatically!
No one enjoys being around whining kids. But when
they’re grateful, it’s delightful. In the same way, when we
appreciate God, it thrills his heart. My friend Elaine says,
“The practice of thanksgiving is the discipline that helps
us experience God’s love.” Your disposition permeates the
atmosphere of your home. Do you want to raise positive
kids? Then resolve to become a woman of gratitude. You’ll
have a positive impact on generations to come.
3. To spend more quality time with my spouse
My husband, John, and I used to have a wonderful raspberry
patch. In the early years I carefully tended it, and it
produced prolific crops. Then I got busy with carpools and
commitments, and before I knew it, weeds took over and my
raspberries died out.
A marriage can become like my raspberry patch. We get
busy with kids, career, church, elderly parents, and
volunteer needs. We think, I’ll spend time on my
marriage when life calms down. The problem is, life never does.
Don’t let the weeds of “other important things”—even your
children—choke your marriage. Resolve to nurture it. This
year, ask the question, What can I do to help my husband and
I grow closer together? Begin by making a commitment to a
weekly date together—an evening, a breakfast, an afternoon.
Keep in mind, your children’s sense of security is built on
the knowledge you love them, but it greatly increases when
they know you love their dad. You’re raising future husbands
and wives who need to know a happy marriage takes time.
If they see you nurturing yours, they’ll learn a tremendous
lesson.
4. To say “no” to something!
Okay, we all know there are simply too many demands, too
many choices, and too little time. But part of maturing means
learning to postpone something you’d really like to do now
to another season of life in order to focus on something even
more important. Maybe it’s that career opportunity so you
can have more time with your children, or that outing with
your friends so you’re around when your teens have their
friends at your house. Maybe you need to say “no” to your
kids being in yet another sports team so your family can
have dinner together.
Ask yourself, in 10 years, what will matter most—that you
signed your child up for yet another activity and spent
evenings apart, or said “no” and had family dinners together?
Or that you participated in yet another committee, or said
“no” so you could spend more time with your husband?
5. To pursue Christ with fresh vigor
Do you sometimes feel as though your relationship with
Christ is stale? I sure do. But when that happens, I pray
King David’s prayer, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:12).
Resolve to recapture that joy. Vary what you normally do for
your time alone with God. Decide on a new topic for Bible
study. Begin a fresh journal.
If you make some changes but still feel stale, ask God to show
you the reason. Is there sin in your life you’re ignoring? A
wrong relationship, self-pity, jealousy? The writer to the
Hebrews encourages us to “throw off everything that hinders
and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with
perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes
on Jesus” (12:1–2). That’s one resolution you can’t afford to
break!
Prepare
Which of the five goals jumped out at you? Why?
What are some other personal, spiritual, or relational
goals that have been on your mind lately? Please answer in the
comment section below or discuss with your MAP partner.
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