Be someone's friend

If either of them fall down

one can help the other up.

But woe to him who is 

alone when he falls

and has not another to lift him up!

Ecclesiastes 4:10

 

Be someone's friend today. Ask God to show you who that may particular person may be.  Pray for an opportunity to encourage and speak life into their hearts.  

This is my commandment

that you love one another

as I have loved you. 

Greater love has no one than this,

that someone lay down his life

 for his friends.

John 15:12-13

Shout it out

Praise the Lord, all nations!

Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us,

and the faithfulness of

the Lord endures forever.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 117:1-2

I love it when scripture has exclamation points.  I like that the authors reflect strong feeling and high volume.  So yes, I will too.  Praise the Lord!  Thank you, Jesus!  Seriously, thank you.

Thank you for the way you love me!

Thank you for your faithfulness toward me!

Thank you for the grace you extend to me!

Thank you for the price you paid for my life!

Thank you for the cross!

Thank you for not staying dead!

Thank you for conquering death, hell and the grave!

No one else has ever gone that far. That's a pretty big deal, right?!  So, I'm going to go ahead and just say it.... better yet,  I'm going to shout it out...
Hallelujah!!! Praise the Lord!!!

Shout to the Lord, all the earth;

break out in praise and sing for joy!

Psalm 98:4

Listen: Rooftops, by Jesus Culture

Dare not compare

Not that we dare to classify or

compare ourselves with

some of those who

are commending themselves. 

But when they measure themselves by

one another and compare themselves

with one another,

they are without understanding.

2 Corinthians 10:12 

The lives of others may inspire me; however, their successes or lack thereof, is not what determines or defines my self-worth or value. Nothing steals my joy and contentment quicker than the pitfall of comparing myself with others.  It leaves me feeling inadequate, insecure and discontent. Jealous. Envious. Bitter. And sometimes it's even the other way around.  Feeling superior. Thinking of myself better than others. Judgmental.  Either way, it's a dangerous and destructive path.  Neither one of which God has chosen for me.

God has paved a road for each one of us to follow that is completely different than anyone else's.  We do not know all of the curves, the ups, the downs, the twists and turns that the other person has had to walk to get them to where they are today. Nor do we know where God will call them to... and what gifts, talents and abilities will be given to them in order to help them along the way.  Knowing that helps me understand how useless it is to compare myself with others.

So what is at the root of comparing?  Possibly the need for approval and acceptance from others?  If that is the case, then it is time to stop comparing and start looking for approval from the only One who is worthy to give it.

Whatever you do,

work at it with all your heart

as working for the Lord, not for men.

Since you know that you

will receive an inheritance

from the Lord as a reward.

It is the Lord you are serving.
Colossians 3:23-24

And as we live our lives pleasing Him and Him alone, I believe we will be too preoccupied to compare. It's in him that I find true joy and satisfaction. He's enough.

Listen: Christ is Enough, by Hillsong Live

Genuine kindness

March is a month full of birthdays for my family.  So many celebrations. So many gifts.  A friend of mine just had her birthday a few days ago and said the only gift she wanted was for everyone she knew to do a random act of kindness that day.  Most gifts come and go, get old, fade away... but the gift of kindness has a lasting affect. 

Don't get me wrong, I love getting showered with gifts.  Blessings come in all shapes and sizes.  But the most genuine gift I have ever received-- the greatest blessing I have ever had bestowed upon me is this...

...Christ in [me], the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27

It's an immeasurable gift.  So rich in love.  I don't deserve it, but God's grace says I do.

For it is by grace you have

been saved through faith. 

And this is not your own doing;

it is the gift of God,

not a result of works,

so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8

It's the only gift that offers genuine security. I have been saved. My salvation is fully secured.  It's not something anyone or anything else can give me.  It's not something I can accomplish myself.

It's not a "if I just try harder then God will notice me" gift.  It's not a "look what I did, look how awesome and perfect I have lived my life" mentality.  It's all about faith.  Knowing that I did absolutely nothing to deserve it, yet humbly accepting the gift that was ever so graciously given to me in kindness.  

This is not a random act of kindness. This one was mapped out and wrapped up before the beginning of time and had my name, and yours, written on the gift tag. 

The waiting room

Some of my prayers are answered quickly and sometimes it feel like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. I have a couple of requests that I feel are struggling to push through the clouds... the clouds of my frustration, doubts and fears... into the throne room of heaven.  But the truth is, God does hear my prayers and he does answer them. I am confident of that. 

Sometimes I just have to wait.

"I wait for the Lord,

my soul waits

and in his word I hope".

Psalm 120:5

I used to hate waiting rooms... until I had kids.  Now, when I have a doctor's appointment, I make sure I go alone so I can take advantage of the opportunity to sit still and rest in the quietness while I wait.  (Note: this does NOT apply to trips to the pediatrician... that is more of a test of survival rather than of patience!)

Maybe God has us in the waiting room.

It's here, in this quiet place, where we have the opportunity to make choices as we wait:

Will we allow anxiety to destroy us?

or

Will our trust and patience be strengthened?

Will we allow our character to be shaken and torn into pieces?

or

Will we allow our character to grow into who God created us to be?

Will we try to take control and fall flat on our face?

or

Will we depend on God and his perfect timing as we get to know him more and more each passing day?

I am finding that the longer I have to wait, the more the anticipation builds.  Maybe God knows that I will appreciate and cherish the very thing that I have been longing for so much more than if it were just handed to me at my command.  Maybe he knows that as I wait, I will make the right choices... to come to him, draw close to him, lean on him and grow stronger as a result.  Even when I feel like God is silent... he is at work.
I am thankful for the waiting room.

Below is a link to a song that has encouraged me on my journey.

"While I'm Waiting"

Blessed

Blessed [happy] is the man

whose sin the Lord 

does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

Psalm 32:2

The Lord is ready to forgive. Jesus paid it all. Oh the wondrous cross! My sins, the sins of the world, held him there. He took my place. A death I deserved... a death we all deserved. 

My heart is overwhelmed with thanksgiving. Not just because of the cross, but because he lives... victoriously!! He conquered death, hell, and the grave. No other god has ever gone that far. 

How could we ever repay him for all he has done for us? Simply by accepting and believing the freedom of his forgiveness. 

Don't let the mistakes of your past keep you from moving forward today. Let them go. Be blessed. Be free. 

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

Do you believe it?

Secret petitions

Delight yourself in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

Note the progression.   It's almost like cause and effect.  His giving is followed by my delight... not the other way around.

What do you delight in?  Whatever it is, your desires will reveal it.

Have you ever noticed that the more you delight in something, the more you connect with it?

As we connect with the Lord, we can't help but have his desires come rushing into our hearts. The word "desires" has also be translated as "secret petitions".

I love that.  God knows both the spoken and unspoken requests of our hearts.  When we enjoy the Lord and find satisfaction in him, we will find that our secret petitions run parallel with his. 

In her book, He Speaks To Me, Priscilla Shrier writes, "Do not be afraid to hunger for the desires of the Lord to fill your heart.  Not only are God's desires better than your own, but we will find more complete contentment with His plan".

We will be content with his desires, because they satisfy us in a way that our desires alone could not.

 [The LORD] satisfies your desires with good things...

Psalm 103:5

Don't follow your heart

Love is in the air.  Hearts are everywhere. I opened my Instagram feed and found love notes adorned with hearts, candy decorated with hearts, even food cut into the shape of hearts.  It only seems fitting to end this week's journey of digging into the truth about love, with the heart.

Has anyone ever told you to just follow your heart?  The problem I see with this advice is that our hearts are tied to our feelings.  And feelings are fickle and shallow.  They can't be trusted.

Our hearts only chase after what feels right in the moment.  It's time to take full responsibility for the condition and direction of our hearts. It's time that we stop following and start leading.

"Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it".

Proverbs 4:23

Whatever fills your heart will flow out.
What flows out of yours? 

 

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also".

Matthew 6:21

 

Impossible love

It's easy to love someone when you are experiencing pure bliss, but what happens when the wear and tear of time destroy it? What if the circumstances change? What about when the quality and the character of the person you love suddenly disappear? What then? 

If people have to prove themselves worthy of our love, then we are totally missing the point.

God demonstrates His own love 

toward us,

in that while we were yet sinners, 

Christ died for us. 

Romans 5:8

That my friend, is real love. It's unconditional.

It is impossible for us to love like that. It's something we are truly incapable of doing...on our own strength.    

Because God first loved us, we are able to love others.  Even when it's inconvenient, even when it hurts, even when we feel like we just can't.

 

Let us love one another,

 for love is from God;

and everyone who loves

is born of God and knows God.

Anyone who does not love

does not know God,

because God is love.

1 John 4:7-8

No fear in love

When I was little, I was afraid of the dark... ok, truth be told, maybe I still am.  Just the other day, after I turned off the lights for the night, I found myself running as fast as I could up the stairs as though I feared that someone was going to grab my foot through the slated staircase! (I may or may not have caught my husband doing the same thing).  Shhhh, don't tell our children.

Fear is an emotion induced by a perceived threat.

Do I fear the dark or do I fear what the dark has to hide?  The fear of the unknown.  The fear of what I think could happen.

1 John 4:18 says that "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear". 

God is love. His love is perfect and he loves you. There is no where in the bible that says otherwise.  And nothing can separate you from that love.  So if we are covered by his love, why fear?

No matter what fear grips your heart. No matter what fear paralyzes you.  Those fears are conquered by his love. Fear doesn't stand a chance.

"Though the mountains be shaken 

and the hills be removed,

yet my unfailing love for you

will not be shaken

nor my covenant of peace be removed,"

says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Isaiah 54:10

All of it

I absolutely love teaching my girls to memorize scripture.  And I'm learning right along with them, it's something I've always wanted to do and now I have help- thanks to my accountability partners all under the age of 6.  We memorize to song.  Most of the tunes we make up as we go.  We sing and dance around the room like a song on repeat.  It eventually sticks and I hope the words will forever be engraved on their tiny, little hearts... and mine, too.

One verse that I have caught them singing unsolicited is from Deuteronomy 6:5.

"You shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your strength".

All of it.  Not just part of it.  

I like to look at the definition of a word (even if it's familiar to me) to gain a better perspective. 

Heart:  The center of emotion, feeling, affection.

Soul:  The principle of life, feeling, thought and action; the spiritual part of a human.

Strength:  The quality or state of being strong; mental power, vigor; moral power, courage. 

What is holding you back from loving God with every ounce of your being?  Love is not something that is done halfheartedly. 

God doesn't just want the good parts, the put-together parts, the beautiful parts, the admirable parts.  He wants the parts that hurt, the broken pieces, the parts that we are ashamed of.

So love him...with all that you are. 

With all your heart. all your soul. all your strength. Love him with all of it. 

Love never fails

A simple word.  A profound statement.

What is love, actually?

I believe that it is easier for us to experience love rather than try to define it. 

We are all born with the need to love and to be loved. Countless people have tried to put into words what love is since the beginning of time. I could attempt to define it, but it's probably best to let the word of God speak.
1 Corinthians 13 tells us what love is... and what it is not.

Love is patient and kind;

love does not envy or boast;

it is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing,

but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things,

endures all things.

WAIT A SECOND.  Did you just do what I did and skim over it because those verses are already familiar to you??  Read it again~ with intention. This time putting your name in the place of love...

I have read and heard this at least a thousand times before, but after reading it today I realize that there is not one person on the face of this planet who has or ever will love me like that.  Not my husband, not my children, not my parents, not my friends, not even myself.  

But wait... there is someone who can and does love that way.

Reread the verses above a third time, putting the name of Jesus in place of love.  It all makes sense now.  

At the end of those verses, the very next sentence begins with yet another profound statement.

Love never ends.  

Let that sink into the core of your heart.
God loves you. No ifs ands or buts about it.  His love never fails and he will never stop loving you. ever. period. end of story. 

Beauty in the mess

If I ever want my house to look spotless, I invite people over.  I don't know if there is a scientific law for this, but I have tested it time and time again and the end result is always the same.  The mess is gone... well, at least for the moment.

Life is messy.  From piles of laundry and stacks of dishes to broken relationships and abuse. Some messes are easy to hide, while others may be harder to control. Some are complicated and interwoven into the depths of our being.

Messes may appear different in each person's life, but one thing is for sure... we all have them and they aren't pretty. 

However, if I take a closer look, I see beauty in my mess.

Because, you see, my mess is covered in grace.

Jesus sees our weaknesses. He sees our mistakes, our failures and our hurts.  He understands our human frailty. So I come to him.

No matter how badly I mess up throughout the day, I make time to stop and acknowledge him. I thank him for who he is and all that he has done for me. It can be as quick as an exhale through the mundane saying "Jesus, help me. I need you".

It is there that he extends to me his grace and in return I am able to give grace to myself.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me".

That's how I find beauty in the mess. 

Focus

The challenge of letting go and allowing God to hold my hand as I learn to trust him has proven to be easier said than done.

Three days in and I've already fallen short.  As soon as I enter back into the reality of this thing called life, I find myself doing quite the opposite. I become busy. I worry. I take control. I'm anything but still. I pick up what I just let go. It's a vicious cycle.

God never ceases to amaze me with his impeccable timing.
I love his gentle reminders.

Last year, I started reading the Jesus Calling devotional by Sarah Young.

This is the reminder I read today: 

"..."Slow down and cling tightly to my hand. 
I am teaching you a difficult lesson, learned only by hardship.
Lift up empty hands of faith to receive My precious Presence. 
Light, Life, Joy and Peace flow freely through this gift.
When your focus turns away from Me, you grasp for other things.
You drop the glowing gift of my Presence as you reach for lifeless ashes". 
(italics added).

So the challenge continues.  Let go. Cling to his hand.

But wait, there's more... Focus.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, 

but on what is unseen, 

since what is seen is temporary, 
but what is unseen is eternal.

~2 Corinthians 4:18

So let's fix our eyes on the LORD while the storm rages on. For if we focus on anything else, we tend to let go of his hand and begin to reach for "lifeless ashes".

As Jesus becomes the focal point, the storm will be but a blur in the background.