Who Will You Choose?

It’s sometimes hard to make the best decision – there are pros and cons and you can weigh them out to see what the best decision is, but the pros and the cons as we understand them don’t always line up with God’s expectations of us or his direction to us. Sometimes His preferences won’t make sense to us, because He knows more than we do and always will (Isa 55:8-9). It’s not about our comfort or what we like the best, it’s about what’s best in the long run and He’s the only one knowledgeable about the long run (Psa 139:1-4). 

When was the last time you had to make a choice? Was it during a staff meeting when someone made an improper comment about someone else? Did you speak up? Was it while talking to a good friend and they started gossiping about someone? Did you stop them in love? Did you see someone being bullied? Did you speak up for them? Whenever we make choices there are right choices and wrong ones. There are no in between or border line decisions. If we choose in opposition to what God says, it’s wrong. There really is no gray with God. You either do what He says fully or you don’t. God doesn’t do partials or half ways. 

Today, a minister at church spoke about our choices and how lines have been drawn. We either choose Christ and His ways or we don’t. It’s pretty simple. It may not always be easy to live it out, but it is a pretty straight forward. It’s also why we need the Holy Spirit leading and guiding us each and every day (Prov 3:5-6). Because every day we make the choice again and again to follow Christ or not. That’s why it’s so important to study and meditate on His word (Josh 1:8). The more of His word we have on the inside of us, the more focused we can be on Him and His ways (Psa 119:105). The more time we spend with Him, the more we hear from Him, if we’re quiet and let Him speak to us. 

We have to remember that He is more important that whatever we take to Him. While our focus may be on one thing, He may have something else for us to focus on. We need to make our choices line up with Him instead of expecting Him to co-sign whatever it is we want to do. Just like at work, when you take an idea to your boss, they may agree but they may redirect you because they know where the organization is headed more than you do. Just as you wouldn’t tell your supervisor you wouldn’t do something he/she directed you to do, we shouldn’t go in our own direction with the Lord. When we do, consequences follow and usually they are not good. It may take a while for the harvest but there always is one. We reap what we sow, no matter what (Gal 6:7). 

The minister said something during her message and it stuck with me – If you choose Christ, He will help you choose right. So who will you choose? Christ or anything/anyone else? As for me, I choose Christ (Josh 24:15).

Are You Being Honest with Yourself?

I’ve learned over the years that we do a lot of hiding and putting on masks to get by and to give others the impression we’re okay, when in fact we are all a bit broken. All of us has a thorn in our flesh (Rom 7:18). Some are bigger than others but we all suffer from some dysfunction. I believe that is a residual effect of sin in the world. It’s also an indicator that we all need Jesus. 

No matter how put together we are and how much stuff we’ve accumulated, we all have an area of our lives where we need the Lord to intervene. No one is perfect whether they are putting on airs or not. In some cases, we’re not even honest with ourselves. 

We avoid dealing with whatever our issues are as if they will just disappear if we ignore them. Unfortunately, that is not how our lives work. One thing I’ve learned is that if we don’t deal with the issues in our lives, they just fester and then they come back with a vengeance. It is usually not pretty for us or those around us. The longer we avoid the issues, the longer it takes to heal and for the broken places to mend (Jam 5:16). 

So our first stop has to be acknowledging that we can’t fix it (whatever it is) alone. We need help. Let’s face it, if we could fix our problems on our own, we would have already done it. It always gets me when someone says, they will turn to the Lord when they get right. That’s a problem. We can’t get right on our own. That’s why we need Him. 

I know it’s hard to admit the need for help and especially when we feel like it’s something within our control. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to control ourselves. Why do you think New Year’s resolutions are so difficult? We don’t have self-control in and of ourselves. It takes the Holy Spirit to give us the power. But He only comes in, when we humble ourselves and acknowledge who Jesus is and what He did for us. We can be prideful and not acknowledge our need for the Lord, our Savior. We have to be transparent and honest with ourselves and those around us. The Word says that if we won’t acknowledge Christ, He won’t acknowledge us to His father (Matt 10:32-33). 

It’s time to be honest with ourselves. We need help and it’s okay to ask for it. It doesn’t make us less than. We are enough – even with all the brokenness and the scars and the mistakes. Until we can own them and who we really are, we can’t expect our circumstances to change (1 John 1:9). Yes, we’re evolving and forever changing, but we need to make sure we’re evolving more deeply as followers of Christ (Rom 12:2). Take a look at your life and really be honest about who you are and whose you are (2 Cor 13:5). No time like the present (Prov 27:1) to admit the broken places and ask Jesus to be your Lord and your Savior. He is the only one who can truly mend them.

Be Open for the Possibilities

When was the last time you tried something you never had before with no real thought to how it would turn out? Well, that’s been my life for the past year. Something I’ve learned is that you have to be open to the possibilities of where God will take you. When Abraham heard from God that He would make him a great nation (Gen 12), Abraham left his home on God’s direction not knowing where he would end up but fully trusting that God was faithful to fulfill His promises. 

Can you imagine trying something completely new and having the freedom of not worrying about how it would turn out but trusting God to do what He says? I can hardly imagine it myself. But, I’m encouraged that as I seek God, He will send me to places I never thought or imagined. The Word indicates if we seek Him, we will find Him. It also indicates that if we acknowledge God in all our ways, He will direct our paths (Prov 3:5-7). Are you allowing God to direct your path or are you taking the lead? 

It’s easy to say we’re open to the possibilities but it’s difficult to change or accept change. We like knowing the direction we’re going. I’m not really big on surprises. I like to know the outcome of whatever it is I try. But, we are to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Cor 5:7). And I am determined to follow where God leads. Sometimes I stumble, but I do my best to get back up. Sometimes I need a lift and I call on the Lord to help me. I realize I can’t do this thing called life on my own and I was never meant to do so. 

I want all that God has for me and I know that means I have to be vulnerable and open to what He is doing. I can’t stifle Him or shut Him down and still want what He wants. I have to remember that He is in control and He can do whatever He wants to do. He can have mercy on who He wants to have mercy and He can harden who He wants to harden (Rom 9:15-18). 

All I can do is follow and obey; or not. I can choose. I choose Him. I choose being open to all the possibilities. I want all He has in store for me. What about you? Are you going to step out on faith, knowing that He has to help you – knowing that He is the only way it will work? It’s a little bit scary – the not knowing. But, here’s what we do know – HE NEVER FAILS (Luke 1:37). HE is a 100% guarantee. We can trust Him. Open yourself up to the possibilities. You won’t be disappointed. 

Follow the Directions

Have you ever started something or tried to build something without looking at the directions first? I know I have. When I don’t look at the directions, things rarely turn out exactly the way they were designed. For instance, I recently had a cold or sinuses (not COVID, thankfully), and I took some medicine for it to help my stuffy nose. Well, I didn’t take the appropriate dose and I paid for it with a longer time with symptoms. 

Had I just read the directions and followed them in the first place I would have recovered sooner. Who do I have to blame? No one but myself. Could I have blamed the meds? Sure, but it would have been a false accusation. How often do we blame God or someone else for things that happen in our lives, when in fact, we have not followed the directions? 

God gives us guidance for how to live our lives in a way that He will be glorified. Have you read the directions? If we want God to move in our lives, we have to do what He says. To know what He says, we have to spend time in His word (Duet 17:19, Josh 1:8)). God wants to bless us in ways we can’t even imagine, but we block Him by our disobedience. 

He wants us to know Him, but we have to spend time with Him in order to do so. One way to spend time with Him is to read what He tells us to do. There is much guidance in the bible that will keep us out of “bad” trouble. I define it that way, because we are strangers in this world and just visiting for a season. Trials and tribulations will come, but even then, they come to make us stronger in Christ (Jam 1:2-4). 

As we read the directions in our Bibles, we learn what to expect and see the trials and tribulations for what they are. They may still be difficult, but we understand their purpose and we realize that we are not alone (John 16:33). The Holy Spirit is a keeper and a comforter and He will take care of us through the trials and tribulations when we let him (John 14:26). When we are Christ-followers, we can know we can leave our heavy burdens with Him and He will give us res (Matt 11:28-29). 

Faith is our path to Christ and that is what will give us peace in the middle of the storm or whatever the issue we face (Eph 2:8-9). Anyone who is not in relationship with Christ misses out on the benefits of being God’s child. God loves you and wants to save you, but the only way to the Father is through the Son (John 14:6). I pray that anyone who is not in relationship with Christ would read Romans 10:9-10. Confess the need for Christ as Lord of your life and believe God raised Him from the dead are the directions to salvation – this does not ignore the cross, but encompasses the complete work Jesus fulfilled on the cross.  It’s that simple, but it is required. Are you following the directions to have a Christ-filled life? I certainly hope so. If not, now is the time. 

What is God Calling You to Do?

All through my life, I’ve been actively involved in ministry. As a young girl, I sang in the church youth choir and served as a youth usher. I was always actively trying to be helpful both in church and out of it. One thing that I learned early was that ministry happens both inside the church building and in all parts of our lives. 

Christ followers are called to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15) no matter where they are, both in season and out of season (2 Tim 4:2). We are to do the work of ministry no matter our calling and no matter our title. One of the hardest things to understand is that there is no rank with God. We are equal in His eyes. One person is no more valuable to God than another. One may have more responsibility and more authority, but their value is the same (Rom 2:11). 

Scriptures discuss the parts of the body and how one part is no more important than another, but that they have different functions (1 Cor 12:21-27). For example, an eye is no more important than a hand, but they have different functions. They do different things, but I for one would not want to do without either of them. It’s important to remember that a minister is no more important than a lay member. An elder is no more important than an evangelist or a teacher. God sees all of us through Jesus blood and that is the only way we are brought into His family and made the righteousness of God. 

As mentioned earlier, I’ve been working in ministry for years – both youth and adult ministry. The value I brought to ministry was not associated with a title but obedience to God’s Word and obedience to the authority placed over me. Again, roles only matter so far as function. Roles do not carry weight for anyone to boast or try to lord over others. Yes, so roles give responsibility and authority to lead, but that does not make anyone better than another person. Just because someone has specific gifts and talents (Rom 12; 1 Cor 12) does not make one more valuable in God’s sight. 

God is calling each one of us to ministry and the question is, “what will you do with the call?” The first call is to know Christ, then we are called to follow Him. These calls happen before the call to work in ministry. We may be busy in church, but we our first calling is to be in relationship with Christ. If you’re not, now is the time to accept Him as savior. 

I was called to be a minister and teacher, but long before understanding that call, I was teaching in multiple arenas, both at work and in church. I was developing training materials and teaching and coaching both groups and individually for years. God was preparing me for where He would take me. What is He preparing you for? No matter your age or race or sex (I Tim 4:12) – God has a purpose for your life but it’s up to you to walk in it. What is He calling you to do? If you don’t know, a great place to start is studying His Word. He will provide you the answers you need.

Honor God with Your Life!

I think you know that I work and minister to students and that is one place where my heart lies. Well, several years ago a friend of mine told me how she had created an internship for young adults, however, she had struggled with them because they were so busy explaining to her how good they were and how much they were worth. Needless to say, they would have done better to show her than to tell her. 

Too often, instead of allowing our work to speak for us, we want to explain who and what we are. People hear what we tell them, but they believe what they see and feel. That’s why faith is sometimes hard for people. They want to see the results and not just hope for them or have a confident belief they will come to pass. That is not how God works – Christ followers believe to see (2 Cor 5:7) and not the other way around. 

That brings us back to how we live our lives. Ever tried something before you were ready for it? Ever jumped into something too early? In most cases, doing so causes all sorts of problems and stress. In my zeal to do some things, I’ve sometimes jumped ahead of myself. It has never ended well but I did learn some lessons along the way. 

1. Give your best to God and He will bless you. The scriptures say to seek God first and His righteousness and all things will be added to you (Matt 6:33). So, work as unto the Lord and give Him glory for it. He will bless the work of our hands (Deut 28:12). As we honor God, He will reciprocate in ways we can’t even imagine. I have experienced this for myself. 
2. Don’t think too highly of yourself (Rom 12:3). As I mentioned last week humility should be a way of life. I know that God has given me and you gifts and skills and talents, but they are not for us to take credit. We only have them because He is so faithful and gracious. It’s not that I don’t recognize I’m good at things, it’s that I recognize I’m good at things because He made it so. Yes, I have done some work to establish the gifts and skills and talents but without Him I would not have been able to do so. He is the one who gives me power to perform. He does the same for you. 
3. Bloom where you’re planted. In all I do, I realize more and more that nothing is by chance. We are where we are for a purpose – maybe to grow us, maybe to grow others, maybe because we haven’t learned a lesson we need for the next step, maybe because we’re being disobedience, but ultimately because it serves God’s purpose (Prov 16:4). One thing I feel strong about is that God’s Will is going to come to pass. Not matter what we do, at the end of the day, God’s will have the final say. And if we just focus on what is happening right now (Matt 6:34), God will handle the rest. Many times we borrow the troubles of tomorrow when focusing on today is enough. 

God is so good to us, even allowing us to live in a world where we don’t give Him half the credit and admiration He deserves. He wants to see us flourish for His sake, not our own. We can choose to honor God with our lives and be living sacrifices to Him. When we honor Him and give in His name based on our relationship with Him and not in an attempt to honor ourselves, He will honor us. Want to be blessed? Acknowledge and honor Him with your life. He just may blow your mind. He's done that more than once for me. 

Godly Women with Power and Purpose

So, this weekend has been eventful. I got to spend time with my parents and I had the opportunity to speak at a Women’s Conference at the church where I grew up (Mt. Zion Taska). What an honor to be asked. God is really moving in my life these days and I never know what to expect. My Executive Pastor said in a class I took that you have to be ready to do things that are not comfortable but that you know God is calling you to – that’s how I ended up speaking at this conference. And I’m so glad I did. I was truly blessed to be surrounded by a beautiful group of women all morning and I learned so much from my study of the message the Lord gave me to share. 

As I studied to speak to the women, I learned a lot about being a woman who looks and acts like God and is empowered by the Holy Spirit to do what God created her to do and not what her sinful nature craves (Galatians 5:16). Can you imagine staying focused on God in such a way that you don’t give into the temptations of your flesh? I don’t know about you, but it’s easy to get distracted by the things around me and not focus on all of God’s goodness and grace. However, I strive to please Him. I do get off track sometimes, but thankfully, He draws me back. I’m thankful for that. 

So, back to the Godly women and the traits they exhibit. A few that jumped out at me include: 

1. Godly women are God-fearing – they are in reverent awe of His holiness and they live lives to honor Him. Women who fear God strive to live righteous lives, embrace truth, live in obedience and love others as Jesus Christ demonstrated and instructed us to do (Mark 12:30-31).
2. Godly women are mature – they control their emotions and bring every thought into submission (2 Corinthians 10:5) to make it obedient to Christ. This takes time, attention and experiences. James 1:2-4 tells us to count it all joy when we run into various trials because the testing of our faith works patience and patience leads us to maturity.
3. Godly women are devoted – they are determined to follow God and do the right thing. They are intentional, loyal and committed. Thankfully, when we are committed, God promises that He will help us (Psa 37:3-7) and make our paths straight (Prov 3:1-6).
4. Godly women are humble – they don’t have to toot their own horns because that’s not important to them. They are focused on pleasing God and not thinking too highly of themselves (Rom 12:3). If promotion comes, it comes from God (Psa 75:6-7).

There are definitely other traits, but these informed me of who I am striving to be – a Godly woman with power and purpose striving to do God’s will. What about you?