Every day we make hundreds of choices. Some are big, some are little, some we don’t even realize we are making and yet not one of them is insignificant. Every choice is significant. Every choice matters. Why? It is not because we must be “rule-following, obedient people.” It is not for fear of punishment or avoiding shame. The Gospel is grace-based and eliminates all shame. Every choice matters because I MATTER and YOU MATTER. Many times when I cave to my flesh, I hear myself say in shame “it doesn’t really matter.” What I am really saying is “I don’t matter,” and that is a LIE! YOU and I, friends, we matter to the King! We are worthy of the wise choices, even hard choices because they take us one step deeper into our journey with Lover of our souls. We are worthy because He calls us worthy; not because of any choice (good or bad) that we have made. The ARTIST of our souls, the CREATOR of our bodies, the PAINTER of our personalities names His masterpieces worthy and good. Therefore, WE ARE. As a result, every wise choice deserves celebration. Every unwise choice is covered by His grace. The Father is with us in both. Each one matters because you matter. I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy, no shadow of shame will darken their faces. Psalm 34:4-5
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According to Christianity Today, Lent is “Lent is meant to be a time of repentance. These 40 days are set aside to praise and worship the Lord; to read the Bible more, and to pray more often. Christians who observe Lent correctly anticipate deeper intimacy with the Lord.” This year my heart needs Lent. My soul longs to go deeper and draw closer to Jesus. I have not been steady emotionally, spiritually, physically. There is only one way to steadfastness I crave – to pull closer to the anchor. And so, I began praying asking the Lord what it is that He would have me to do or to give up. The answer surprised me…CONTROL and POWER. CONTROL. Do any of us really have control over our lives? NO! We just do things that perpetuate the illusion of control so that we can feel better. Those very things, though, keep us from trusting Him and weakens our faith. Those routines that make us feel safe and in charge are illusions. We are secure but not because of anything we do or don’t do. We are held by everlasting arms and thus we can have the courage to step outside of our safety bubble. POWER. What things have power over us? Power over our attitude, our mood, our thoughts. These are places where the love of Jesus longs to flow and produce overflowing peace and joy. Peace and joy do not come when we give other people and things the power that belong only to Jesus. What does it look like to give the King a position of power in our lives? I pose these two questions to you. What things in your life give you the illusion of control? What things in your life have power over you? The answer will be different for everyone but the result will be the same when we give those things up – a steadfast heart connected to Him overflowing with joy and peace. (I realize I am a day late posting this. :) ) The heart of service stems from the knowledge of the one you are serving. For example, if I wanted to serve my husband by preparing him a good meal, I would first need to think about the foods he enjoys most. If I wanted to serve a friend by making them smile, I would first need to know what things are important to them. In the same respect, if I have a heart that truly wants to serve God I need to spend some time thinking about the things that God cares about. As I think through this, I am realizing that I care about so many things that God does NOT care about. The things I pray about do not always get answered because they are not in line with what God cares about. My prayers have changed. Instead of asking God for the things that I think are important, I now ask him to open my heart to things that He thinks are important. God does not how much time I spend serving Him as much as my heart during the service. Does He care if I spend hours volunteering at church or take 2 minutes to text a friend and make her smile? The answer is NO. What He cares about is where my heart is during the hours or 2 minutes. Am I prideful or serving begrudgingly? A couple minutes from a joyful heart is more valuable to Him than hours of service with bad motives. Another example, God does not care what goes into my mouth. He does not care if I eat 1 cookie or 10 cookies. What He cares for is my heart. He would rather me eat 10 cookies and enjoy each one of them than 1 cookie in shame. I care about the amount I eat. God cares about the fact that 3 days later I am still thinking about the food I did or did not eat because that means I am in bondage to the food. You see, there is a BIG difference in the things that occupy my mind and the things that matter to my Father. He is the Giver of good gifts. The ability to be in community with eachother is one of those gifts. The ability to taste and enjoy good food is another gift. He longs for His children to enjoy their gifts! “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 Spirit, lead us to the heart of the Father. Amen. This time of year brings with it so many emotions and so much busyness. Quiet moments can be few and far between. Although there is nothing wrong with the hustle and bustle (I love it all!), let’s take a brief moment to pause and consider something. The first Christmas. We can all picture the nativity scene: Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus, with shepherds and animals surrounding them. That beautiful picture represents the first Christmas here on earth. On earth, where no one gave a second thought to that couple in a stable. On earth, where this night was just like any other for so many people. What was it like in the heavens? Have you ever thought about that? Consider for a moment that the angels knew exactly what was going on. The heavens were aware of the miracle that was taking place that night. I can just imagine the hush of heaven in the moments before Son of God became the Son of Man. The eyes of the angels glued to that teenage girl in a stable and no one dared to breathe. Heaven and earth meet while the angels watch in wonder. This is really happening! The plan of eternity past if now in the present. The heavens are silent. There are no words that would adequately express the awe in their hearts. The angels did not dare speak and ruin this most amazing moment. Then one voice speaks. It is the voice of power mixed with ultimate love, the voice of the Father. His tone is joy mixed with sadness. Joy for this was the start of His plan win back His prized children; sadness for what it would cost Him. With all eyes on Him, the Father looks at His messengers and says, “Now GO! Go tell them what just happened. Go now and tell the world what I have done for them and how much I love them. Go, my angels, Go!” And with those words, the heavens opened, and the angels raced out like horses out of the gate. That night, some shepherds were out in the fields near Bethlehem watching their sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid. The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy. 11 Today your Savior was born in David’s town. He is the Messiah, the Lord. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.” Then a huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying, “Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him.” Luke 2:8-14 (Disclaimer: The idea of the hush of heaven is not my own. Several years ago, our pastor mentioned it and it stuck with me.) Re-turn – come or go back to a place or a person “Return” means “to go back”. It infers that a place or a person of origin is a starting point. What was the starting point of our body and souls? The Garden of Eden; a place where everything was as God intended it to be. Mind, body, and spirit existed together in complete harmony. That harmony is what our souls long for in this weary world. We long to return. Although we cannot turn back time, our souls can return to their place of origin- our Creator. He beckons us to Him because He knows it is the only place, we will find real rest. Isaiah 30:15 AMP - “For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel says this, ‘In returning to me and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and confident trust is your strength. But you were not willing.’” Isaiah 40:22 AMP- “I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud and your sins like a heavy mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” In this world anxiety dominates. There are a thousand things that we could get anxious about in each day. Anxiety leads us to grasp for control, to try harder, to just hold on. But what if instead of trying to manipulate and gain control over our situation, we redirected our souls? What would happen if we just took a deep breath and said, Psalm 116:7- “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.” AMP Let the words of the psalmist return our souls back to the starting point. At the Savior’s feet, we see clearly how He provides, and our mind, body, and soul find the rest we crave. So, when anxious thoughts threaten to take over your mind today, take a deep breath and recite Psalm 116:7 and let your soul return to rest. Re-store – bring back Restore is the bring back. It is such a beautiful word because it is so full of hope. In this life, there are so many things that are taken from us either by own actions or just because we live in a fallen, broken world. The most significant thing that we lost was a right standing with God. Our loving Father does not like to leave things broken and He centered all of history around restoring us as His children. “He will pray to God, and He shall be favorable to him, so that he looks at His face with joy; for God restores to man His righteousness [that is, his right standing with God-with its joys.]” Job 33:26 (AMP) Even though our standing with God is the most important thing that was restored, it is far from the only thing that God longs to restore for us. He cares not only about our eternal standing, but our life here on earth. The Father desires to bring back all things to how they were designed to be. In the Garden, we lost far more than our right standing with God. We lost all the blessings that come with it: joy, peace, comfort, and the desire to follow Jesus to name a few. Our souls were not meant to feel and face the things that we see in our world today. Our Creator knows this, so He steps in continually to restore us. He brings back our joy; He leads us and brings comfort to us and those around us. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain a willing spirit within me.” Psalm 51:12 (AMP) “I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and will restore comfort to him and those who mourn for him.” Isaiah 57:18 (AMP) Our physical bodies were also affected in the Garden. Disease and physical hardship were introduced; again, all of it going against the original design of our bodies. Our bodies grow sick and weary. God cares about our physical beings as much as He cares about our souls. He wants to bring back our health. “The Lord will sustain and strengthen him on his sickbed; In his illness, You will restore him to health” Psalm 41:3 (AMP) He is the God of restoration. He is the Creator and Designer of our beings. He notices and cares about every aspect of our lives – mind, body, and soul. As the Creator, He knows how every part of us is designed to function, and He is constantly working to restore us. That is why the psalmist cries out to God to restore him “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts, cause your face to shine on us, and we shall be saved.” Psalm 80:19 (AMP) Re-deem – gain or regain possession of something in exchange for payment Redeem is to buy back something or someone, to reclaim what was once yours for a price. This is such a powerful word because it implies inherent value. The redeemer places such value on the person or object that he is willing to pay a price to regain what is rightfully his. “But now, this is what the Lord, your Creator says, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name and you are mine!’” Isaiah 43:1 (AMP) The Lord speaks to His redeemed in the above verse. First, He reminds us that we are rightfully His by establishing Himself as our Creator, the One who formed us. Then, He speaks to us as a tender Father would to a scared child. He gently whispers, “I see you. I know your name. You are valuable to me, and I have given my life to keep you safe. Do not fear.” Let these words of your Creator sink deep into the fearful corners of your heart. Galatians 3:13 “Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us-for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’” (AMP) Friends, the beautiful Savior Redeemer doesn’t stop with a one-time purchase of our souls. He keeps going. Isaiah 63:9 “In all their distress, He was distressed, and the Angel of presence saved them, in His love and compassion he redeemed them, and he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.” (AMP) The Father not only knows your name and sees your pain, but He also feels your pain. His compassion towards us moves Him to send His Presence to lift us up and carry us. We are not left alone after being purchased. The Redeemer places such value on us that He continues to walk beside His redeemed. His compassion and loving-kindness are stirred when He thinks about us. Jesus cannot help but smile when He hears your name. You are His and He is not letting you go until you meet with Him again in His Holy dwelling. Re-fresh – to give new strength and energy, to invigorate What do you think of when you hear the word “refresh”? I think of a cold glass of water after a long, hot day. It brings with it a newness and washes away some of the weariness. Sometimes during a long journey (and recovery is a long journey) our souls need refreshment. We need new strength to take another step, because it feels like putting one foot in front of the other is just too much to ask. Our Jesus knows this about us. He longs to refresh our souls. Psalm 23:3 says “He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters. He refreshes and restores my soul.” The gentle Shepherd knows what our soul needs and leads us there through His word. Psalm 19:7 AMP - “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring and refreshing the soul.” Does your soul need a new strength and energy? Are you weary on this journey? Let the Father lead you through His word and His promises. They will refresh your soul. That is a promise. And here is another promise… Proverbs 3:7-8 AMP- “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord [with reverent awe and obedience] and turn [entirely] away from evil. It will be health to your body [your marrow, your nerves, your sinews, your muscles—all your inner parts]. And refreshment (physical well-being) to your bones.” The fear of the Lord refreshes not only our souls, but our bodies. Our physical bodies benefit from following the Lord. Our Loving Father cares about our whole being and He is the refreshment our souls long for. Let His promises wash over our weary souls 2 Corinthians 5:14 “For the love of Christ controls and compels us, because we have concluded this, that One died for all, therefor all died; and He died for all, so that all those who live would no longer live for themselves but for Him who died and was raised for their sake.” What controls you? It is an important question because it determines the decisions you make the and therefor the course of your life. We make so many decisions a day, many automatically or without much thought; nevertheless, there is a driving force behind every decision that is made. That is why it is crucial to figure out the basis for each decision made. I will be the first to admit that the driving force behind many of my decisions, especially when it comes to myself and my body, are rooted in shame. The need to prove myself worthy compels me to treat my body harshly, to present my best face to the world always, to take on too many tasks, and to always be everything to everybody. I am left weary and angry. Angry at myself and angry at those around me. That is why 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 shook me to my core. What would look different in our lives if our decisions were controlled by the love of Christ? I imagine many things we do would remain the same; yet one thing would be different…our attitudes. My family would still have dinner every night. Instead of an exhausted mom who is bitter that she has to wash dishes afterwards, they would feel welcome at the table. The meal would be exactly the same; yet they would experience it completely differently. Christ died so that we would no longer live for ourselves or trying to prove ourselves. He died so that we could live in the freedom of His love. Think about it, when Jesus was on earth He never acted out of the desire to prove Himself. He never tried to heal “just one more person” or squeeze one more town into His overpacked schedule. No, Jesus lived for the Father, He acted out of love, and changed the world. Friends, I am writing just as much to myself in this one. The world will tell us that “worthiness” is right around the corner. Jesus tells us we are worthy now. Think on what is driving your decisions today. Sweet Jesus, be our example as we enter this day. Thank you that you call us worthy already because You are in us. Help us today to be controlled by your love and let go of the need to prove what you have already proven…that we are loved, we are enough, and we are Yours. Amen. This blog started out of my desire for healthy eating and healthy living, but little did I know that God intended it for so much more. This post is a little different as it is a brief history of my journey meant to encourage all of you in your own journeys. I have struggled with body image issues and an eating disorder for as long as I can remember. About 2 years ago, a dear friend of mine challenged me to go face to face with this disorder, call it for what it is and pursue freedom. That was a big step for me and thus was the start of my trip to Tahiti. I remember to listening to people talk about freedom from food. They would say things like “I just don’t think about it anymore” or “I just love my body, it does such great things for me.” All these words sounded so good but so foreign. This freedom thing felt like Tahiti. I have never been to Tahiti. From what people say and from the pictures, it looks to be amazing. However, I am stuck in a thunderstorm in Northern Virginia and I can’t even fathom Tahiti right now. Freedom was so far removed from my own personal experience that it was even painful to dream about. Through many tears and prayers, the Lord opened my eyes to the possibility of Tahiti. I began collecting brochures, researching what people did there, how they acted, the weather. My heart began to hope- to hope that this place of freedom existed, and not only was it real, but I could go there! I decided if I truly wanted to go there, I probably needed to change my thought patterns and start thinking and acting like the native people. I prayed daily for renewed mind. This was harder than I ever expected but minute by minute I confessed my old thinking and reciting the new thinking, even if at first I didn’t believe what I was saying. After all these people in Tahiti, believe and speak things that seem completely foreign to me. |
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