God is Still in Control

This has been one of those really hard weeks….long days at work with more to do that there was time to get them done.  It was one of those weeks where I got so busy with work and my personal life, I got distracted and forgot who I am and who God is. I don’t know if that ever happens to you, but this week it happened to me.  

I have to take my first trip for work this week since the pandemic started and it was just another thing to add to an already practically overwhelming week.  To top it off, yesterday when I made a quick run to the store (socially distant with face covered) for my trip an alarm when off in my car.  That lead to a moment of panic and prayer which led to a phone call (thanks Carol).  After the discussion, I had a couple of options.  I was reminded I had AAA and just needed to call them about the issue.  So, after taking a nap and getting some much needed rest, I called AAA and they took care of my car and I’m all set for my trip.  

This made me think about how we sometimes forget who we are and who God is in the midst of the crisis, especially if the thing is something God has granted us the ability to do.  This week was definitely not about my ability to do the work (God already gave me that- 1 Peter 1:3), it was about God giving me peace and wisdom and strength to be sustained while doing it.  I’m sure had I leaned more on God this week, the work would have been easier or he would have moved some of the circumstances, if I’d only asked.  I prayed, but I didn’t pray for His will to be done or for Him to intervene on my behalf.  I just did it.  I didn’t actually seek Him first.  I didn’t cast my cares on Him (! Peter 5:7).  I just carried them, forgetting His role in my life.  

God was where He always is….standing by waiting for me to seek Him.   Today, I’m seeking His peace and His strength and His wisdom to get me through this trip and this week.  I recognize I can’t do it alone and thankfully, I’m reminded He will never leave nor forsake me – THANK GOD for that.  But I have to acknowledge Him, and then He will direct my path (Prov 3:6).  He won’t force Himself on me.  That pesky freewill always rises up as an obstacle.

This past week was a reminder that I need God more……I will never be able to do this life on my own.  My head can never get too big to think I have it all together.  I never will.  I’m working to be more like Christ, I’m not there.  I will always need the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to fulfill God’s Will for my life.  God is in Control of the outcome, but I have to freely follow Him and acknowledge and accept His sovereignty if I want what He has for me.  Don’t block what God has for you by thinking you can do it all.  God is Still in Control and He is the only one worthy of the Glory.

God Made Us Different – Part 2

Last week, I talked about how God made us different and how diversity is a good thing – strength is found there.  This week, let’s talk about how you can help support and encourage another person in their gifts.  While we’ve been home since last March, I’ve sought out many avenues of entertainment.  I’m not normally a comedy lover, but I do love Michael, Jr.  If you’ve never heard him, I highly recommend checking him out on YouTube.  Something he said, resonated with me – he asked himself what he could give. What? What can you give? As a giver of time, attention, donations, etc., I’m always looking for different ways to give.  

This blog for instance is one example for me. It is God’s gift to me to share with the world.  It’s not the way I envisioned using the gift of writing, but it is one of the most fulfilling things I do each week.  Drafting this blog is so rewarding, but one of the things that is helpful is the feedback I get from the readers.  When someone is touched by the words God has given me, it raises my level of expectation that God will do it again and again.  So, thank you for your support and encouragement, but, I ask, “Who in your life needs a bit of support or encouragement to change the world?” 

I am one of the teachers for the middle school ministry at my church (I’m sure I’ve told you that before) and I’m always looking for new and different ways to teach the message of the Cross and how we should live to the students.  It’s sometimes difficult to reduce complex topics to something preteens can understand and embrace, but I continue to work at it because I don’t know which one of them might be the cure to cancer or solve an unsolvable mathematic equation or paint the next masterpiece or write the next sonnet or become president.  Each one of those children has a special gift from God (James 1:17) for the building up of His kingdom and I want to help bring out those gifts to their fullest capacity.  

What gifts do those around you possess?  How are you helping them identify their gifts? How are you helping them develop them? How are you encouraging the children in your life to pursue areas associated with your gifting?  Do you have a talker at home? Maybe they would be great at debating or speech.  Do you have someone who loves crafts? Maybe they are an artist.  Do you have a child who loves taking things apart? Maybe they are an engineer. We have to speak life to those around us.  The power of life and death is in the tongue (Prov 18:21). Don’t declare people are the opposite of what God called them.  Just like when the angel of the Lord called Gideon a mighty warrior when he was hiding to thresh wheat, we must call out the thing we know to be true for those around us. Call out those gifts you see in others and as you call them out, the prayer is they will be encouraged and embrace the gifting, as well.

God Made Us Different

Over the past few weeks, God has brought home to me how different we all are – different abilities, different history, different experiences, different hopes and dreams, different talents, different perspectives, etc.  While we all are created by God (the Trinity) in His image (Gen 1:27) and are fearfully and wonderfully made, we all have different gifts and abilities given by Him to fulfill His purpose.  So many times we get bogged down by what we can see, without knowing who and what a person brings to the table.  We judge many times with little more than our own perceptions and experiences driving us….which, we must admit may be way off.  

The point is God made us all different for a reason.  Each difference is important in its own right.  Our differences are what make us unique and important to the overall picture.  Have you ever looked at a canvas? It’s boring until different colors are splashed across it – by brush, by hand, or whatever other instrument an artist may use.  That is what God does with us.  We are like brushstrokes in a masterpiece giving it depth and vibrancy.   He gave us talents that other people need.  He never meant for us to do life alone.  We need each other.  Sometimes, we need others to show us who not to be.  

Romans 12:4-8 (ESV) states, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”   

So God gave us these gifts, but we choose how we use them.  Do we follow God’s directive and use His gifts for good or in opposition to Him for evil (2 Tim 3:2)?  Don’t get confused, because God can use anything and anyone for his purpose….no matter what.  The question is will be you see the benefit of using God’s gifts for His glory or you own pride?  Will you see the blessing of God or the curse?  We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (Eph 2:10).  Are you walking in the good works?  Or are you sitting on the side lines waiting for something to happen?  Or worse, are your walking in direct disobedience to God’s word?  God made you different, what are you going to do with those differences?

Living by Faith and Not by Sight

I don’t know about you, but this week was a hard one.  Watching Congress count the Electoral College votes and the attack on the Capitol this week, I was angry at the disregard shown for our Nation’s Capital and the laws that govern the nation.  My heart broke at the signs of tyranny and total disregard for decency and the law.  For those who don’t know, I’m a civil servant.  I’ve worked for the Federal Government for more than 20 years to help protect workers from unsafe and unhealthy work environments.  Never in my life have I felt as disrespected for the work I’ve sacrificed to do as I did this week.  Nor have I felt as angry for the total disrespect to the troops who are fighting and working away from their families to protect our freedoms or the Black men (slaves) who actually labored to build The Capital so many years ago.  I literally shed tears at the sight of the unrest, then I shed tears at the loss and damage – to life, to our history, to democracy, to our faith in government, and so many other things that I won’t discuss here.  

Then I prayed and God showed me in the midst of my anger, that all of this fear and hatred and animosity and idolatry (yes, some have made the President an idol), it all comes back to the heart.  If someone’s heart hasn’t been changed by God through Jesus, you can’t expect them to do what’s right.  People must have a firm foundation in Jesus to exercise attributes that reflect Him.  What is in a man will come out (Matt 15:18-19)!  That’s why relationship with God through Jesus is so important.  That’s why integrity and character are so important.  Who are we when no one is looking?  The world got a glimpse of who so many were this past week and the first thing that comes to mind for those destroying property and having no regard for others is “lost”.  So, I pray for salvation for all those who have no relationship with God through Jesus.  If they have an encounter with Him, they will be changed.  There can be no other outcome.  

Have you ever heard someone who’s in the midst of sin say “God knows my heart?” as if their heart is doing something their mind and body are not?  It irks me, because not only does God know your heart but so does everyone else.  What you see, is what you get in most cases.  People may think they are covering who they really are, but they are rarely that good at acting.  We all need to be honest with ourselves, if no one else.  We do the things we want to do.  We make decisions that please us in the moment.  If we are catering to our flesh, we usually make bad decisions and cater to bad habits.  If we are catering to our spirit and we are connected with Christ, we may still sin, but we can’t stay there….we can’t continue to cater to bad habits and decisions and be okay with it.  The Holy Spirit who resides inside won’t allow us peace in the midst of it. 

When we decide to change, we do….not necessarily by ourselves, because we are not strong enough to do this thing called life alone….we pray seeking guidance from the Father and we make different decisions – we seek accountability partners to help keep us on track.  We do many things differently when we make up our mind to change our circumstances.  We learn to wait on God, while doing the things we must do to prepare for when He moves.  We start to live by our Faith that God will do exactly what He said, and stop living by what we can see in front of us.  

Now is the time to do that more than ever….don’t allow anger and fear to keep you living where you can only see what’s in front of you.  Now is the time more than ever to spend time in your Bible and in prayer and then take actions consistent with your Faith.  Faith without Works is dead (James 2:20)! Don’t sit back and watch things happen.  Call out what you know to be wrong – Be strong and courageous.  It may be a call to your congressman.  It may be a letter to them.  It could be to participate in a peaceful protest.  It may be to respectfully speak out at work or among friends.  God called us to be light and salt to the World (Matt 5:13-16) – He will hold us accountable to that.  We have to remember that we are in this world but not of this world (John 15:19) – We are His ambassadors.  We have a job to do!  Are you doing yours? 

Lessons for the New Year!

Happy New Year!  I hope and pray that you had a wonderful holiday season and you felt God’s presence as you celebrated the birthday of His Son.  I also hope you’ve started the New Year with new hope for the future.  It’s interesting, I’ve come into the New Year feeling much like I felt last year…..hopeful for better days but knowing no matter what happens God is in control and He is my source and my portion.  He has me no matter what.  

While 2020 was hard and I was glad to be coming up on a New Year with new opportunities, I accept that what happened in 2020 will have effects on our future.  That doesn’t mean the effects will be bad.  But it does mean, we need to learn from our past and do better.  Last year led me to study more and spend more time with our heavenly Father.  I don’t always do it right or spend enough time with Him, but I’m striving to do better each day.  I have been reading my devotional (not every day, but I work to play catch up), and so far this year there are some notes I want to share with you (some are concepts we talked about in 2020).  

1. When you face hard times or challenges, remember God is with you!  If you are His child, no matter what we go through or what someone else means to do, God will never leave you (Heb 13:5) and He uses it for our benefit.  It may not feel like it at the time and it may not feel good or be what we want, but God is always with us as His children.  Every challenge or difficult experience helps to mold us more into who God is making us.  There is a lesson to learn and change to occur.  He is looking for more from us as we grow.  We are always becoming more.  The question is more of what.  If we are God’s children, hopefully, it means we are becoming more like Him.  So, a question for you.  What kind of fruit is God looking for specifically from you in 2021?  Is there a need for you to be more kind?  More patient?  More loving?  More compassionate?  What?  Seek Him and He will provide the guidance for you and He will be there to support you as you develop.  You are never alone. 
2. Obey God and He will bless you in ways you can’t imagine.  I don’t know about you, but when I’m obedient I see the rewards of it.  Whether it be in word or deed.  Tithing is something I’m super serious about (I know it can be a struggle for some).  I’m super serious about it, because according to the Word, it you don’t do it, there is a curse (Mal 3:9-12).  I don’t know about you, but I don’t have time to deal with any curses, that I can prevent.  God said that if the tithes are brought into His storehouse, He will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing that overflows and then He’ll rebuke the devourer for us.  Can you imagine appliances lasting well past their life expectancy or surprise checks in the mail?  I’ve experienced it.  God has rebuked the devourer for me and I know He will do the same for you.  God has blessed me in ways I could not imagine.  The job I have now, which pays well, was not on my radar.  In fact, if asked even five years ago, I would have said, I’d never be in this role, yet here I am.  I’m not bragging, because this is not due to who I am, but who God is in my life and my being obedient to His Word.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have it all figured out and I don’t do everything right.  I still sin and have to ask for forgiveness, but as I figure it out, I do better – not perfect but better.  I hear people saying all the time, they’ll try to do something.  In the words of Yoda, “Do or do not, there is no try.”  Trying means you’re giving yourself an out.  Either do what you plan to do or don’t.  Work hard to accomplish what you set out to do, or sit down.  Life isn’t going to hand you great accomplishment.  It only comes with hard work, determination and a strong belief system – believing God when He said you are more than a conqueror (Romans 8:36-38); you are the Head and not the Tail; you are above and not beneath (Deut 28:12-14).  Obey Him, it will never be a wrong choice. 

Ultimately, God wants you to experience His love, mercy, faithfulness and favor!  If you walk with Him and live your life in a way that is pleasing to Him, He can bless you beyond your wildest imaginings in ways you never thought possible (Eph 3:20).  

New Beginnings and Opportunities

I hope you had a great Christmas!  Mine was a bit quiet but still beautiful.  As I reflected on the gift of Jesus whom God gave over 2000 years ago, I thought about the gifts I continue to get and early Christmas morning, I sat and thanked God for them.  I also thought about the time I’ve squandered in 2020.  Since the pandemic started, I’ve had to stop myself from complaining about the harsh reality of not being able to do the things I want and like doing.  I realized that while I’ve made some good decisions and used some of my time wisely, I haven’t done that consistently in all areas.  

I’ve been working more hours than I should.  I’ve been spending more on stuff than I should – although much has been for other people.  I should have cleaned out so many things in my house and didn’t.  While I’ve been spending more time with the Lord, it still hasn’t really been enough.  There are so many things I could have done better this year.  I’m not beating myself up, I’m just being real about my human frailties.  I have many, but I thank God for loving me anyway.  

I say all this because we’re only a few days from 2021 and we usually say it’s an opportunity to start again.  For those who make resolutions, it’s an opportunity to redefine some goals for the year.  I’m not making any resolutions, because they don’t work for me.  I am, however, setting some goals with milestones.  There are many things I want to accomplish over the next few years and I’m going to put them down on paper so I can reflect on how far I go in reaching them.  While I’m putting those items down, I’m also going to seek God’s guidance on them, so I can make sure they line up with His purpose as well.  

This fall during my small group, we studied the book of Joshua and Judges and throughout these books, it’s evident that the Israelites back then were just like us now.  God continues to take care of us and provide for us and we want to do what we want to do, until we get in trouble and then we call on Him to get us out of it.  Once He does, we start the cycle back over again, except sometimes we get so far into a mess that we get comfortable.  I’m striving in the future to not just do what I want to do, but to listen to God’s leading and pray that He will take away any desires that are not according to His Will and His Word.  I know that will require me to stay closer to Him, because the devil is real and he is always seeking to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).  The devil will use any means to distract us from serving God and doing His Will.  That’s the devil’s job and he’s good at it.  The only way to counter him is with the Power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, which means we need to have them and be armed to use them.   We fight not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers (Eph 6:12).  

2020 was a hard year, and we have no guarantees that 2021 will be better.  We hope and pray it will, but we have to be prepared that it might not.  We have to go into 2021 expecting God to show up and continue to bless and keep us.  While there have been some significant losses for many in 2020, God is still God and He is still Good!  He does not change, no matter how we think or act – He is still the same (Ps 102:27, Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8).  So let’s take a look at where we are and purpose in our hearts to be more like Christ in 2021.  Remember life is a journey….we are all growing and changing every day, but let’s make sure the growth and change will result in God being glorified as opposed to Him being angered.  Let’s purpose in our hearts to be more of a reflection of Him in a world that definitely needs more love and peace and joy.  In 2021, let’s keep our eyes fixed on Jesus seeking His guidance and wisdom and everything we need will be provided (Matt 6:33).  

I hope and pray that you have a prosperous (in all aspects of your life) and Happy New Year.  May you be blessed beyond measure in ways you cannot even begin to imagine.  

The Real Reason for the Season

Just five days until Christmas!  Can you believe it?  It feels like we were just here a minute ago.  This year has been so different that time has run together and I found myself behind the 8-ball.  I just got some Christmas cards in the mail and still have several to get out there – of course, I’ve been planning to get them out since Thanksgiving and it just didn’t work.  So, I get how this year feels different.  I’ve even heard some mention cancelling Christmas.  For that, I call a resounding, “NO.”

The real meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-20).  That’s it.  Yes, we give gifts and yes, families get together during this time and while some of those traditions may be different or changed this year, Jesus was still born as a gift from God to the entire world (Titus 3:4-7).  That doesn’t change no matter how our circumstances change.  Given that and everything going on in the world, this is an even more important time to remember God’s gift and to celebrate Jesus’ birth.  

I don’t know about you, but when I look at the world today and my own life, I see an even greater need to share and celebrate the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus on a wide scale.  The one great thing about Jesus coming is that now we can go to the Father for ourselves……we don’t need a priest to go before God for us.  We can reach out to God in prayer through Jesus for ourselves.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s wonderful to have people in relationship with God praying for us and with us, but we don’t have to wait for them.  

During this time, I challenge you to emphasize with those around you the real reason for the season and share the Good News of Jesus.  Jesus is the author of our peace and it’s clear with all the unrest in the world, He is what we all need (Isaiah 9:6).  

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and pray God’s blessings over you and your families.  May you be blessed beyond measure with love, laughter, peace and joy that will blow your mind and that of those around you!  And, may your life be a reflection of your relationship with Jesus – you may be the only reflection of Jesus some people see!

Remember, be wise this holiday season and protect those around you as much as possible.  Listen to the experts and take precautions to do your part – wash your hands, wear a face covering and maintain social distancing.  Quarantine if you believe you’ve been exposed.  Our loved ones are too important to risk them for our own pleasure.  Take care and stay safe.