Finding Contentment in the Produce Aisle

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' "

Hebrews 13:5

People are always asking me how I can possibly manage three young children at the grocery store. And although I would like to think I have mastered the art of finagling three monkeys in a grocery cart, I still have one major anxiety every time we enter the store: that silly toy aisle. I loathe that toy aisle. I thought I had figured a master plan to always avoid it, but there are now random toys, balloons and candy scattered throughout the entire place. Just the other day all I needed was a loaf of bread...and there on the end of the bread aisle was a little display of toy cars. You can't even go through the checkout with little eyes eying a bag of M&M's. And although it is really sweet that they will sometimes hand out lollipops or stickers or balloons for free, the problem is they come to expect it every time.

My almost 4 year old has started to understand that we only buy food at the grocery store, but it doesn't change the fact that I hate the society even has to tease her with the temptation. Her understanding is that mommy does not have money to buy toys when we are grocery shopping, but you can still see the lust in her eyes. But the thing is, even if I did have the extra money (we certainly are not poor), I still rarely give in to the temptation to buy a toy at the grocery store. Do you know why? Because tomorrow that toy will be old and she will want something else the next time we go...and it is an endless cycle of discontentment. I should know...I used to be the queen of discontentment.

It's kind of like Black Friday...you know, the biggest shopping day of the year. We never knew we needed all these things until we saw the latest gadget on sale for half price from midnight until 3AM. And then the silly Toysrus catalog arrives in the mail and suddenly our children don't just want a doll from Santa. They want the doll and all the accessories to go with it...accessories they didn't even know existed until their little eyes saw the picture on the cover.

If you live in the United States of America, there are very few who truly are in need of anything. We live in a nation of complete overabundance (my family just as guilty as the rest). The question is, is it the overabundance that is the problem or the fact that we have it all and still want more? I believe it is the latter. Success, luxuries, money, beauty...we all crave something more. When is it enough? When are we satisfied?

The commentary in my Bible said instead of continuing to accumulate more things, that we should give away out of our abundance. I think this is a beautiful way to live. In fact, I think it may be the only way to have true contentment with what God does choose to bless us with. After all, it's all God's anyways.

He has already given us the greatest gift of all. He gave us grace...and that is enough.

Sunday Scripture

"Finally, brothers and sisters, 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."

Philippians 4:8

Saturdays With Shawn

 

 

The beautiful, brilliant words of A.W. Tozer on God's sovereignty.

"Who wouldst not fear Thee, O Lord God of Hosts, most high and most terrible? For Thou art Lord alone. Thou has made heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth and all things that are therein, and in Thy hand is the soul of every living thing. Thou sittest king upon the flood; yea, Thou sittest king forever. Thou art a great king over all the earth. Thou art clothed with strength; honor and majesty are before Thee. Amen."

He loves me, He loves me not

  "We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."

1 John 4:16 (NAS)

You know spring has arrived when what was once a field of dormant grass, a sudden splash of color appears. Dandelions quickly pop up, and although technically they are weeds, my children adore them...especially my Ella. My pink azaleas appear, but disappear within a week. But those silly dandelions are here for the duration of summer.

"He loves me. He loves me." I hear her say as she plucks the "petals" off the dandelion. The game is called effeuiller la marguerite, which is French for pluck the daisy. And although I would love to take credit for instilling some culture into my children's lives, I am pretty sure she learned this from watching "The Little Mermaid."


"It's not he loves me, he loves me." I correct her. It's "He loves me. He loves me not. And then you keep repeating it until all the petals are gone."

"No. It's He loves me, He loves me." she says back to me. I shrug and partially roll my eyes knowing that arguing over a silly French nursery game with a three year old is futile. She continues to rip apart the dandelion while attempting arabesques around the lawn, only stopping to retrieve another dandelion.

I sit back in my chair and feel a sense of envy at her innocent heart. In her world, there really is nothing but love. The only malevolence she has ever experienced would perhaps be her brother stealing food off her plate at dinner time. But my heart has been damaged and is weary from previous wounds. Although God has been so incredibly merciful to our family, I still feel forsaken and angry when His timing does not perfectly align with my own.

This particular day I am angry because after over an entire year on the market, our house still has not sold. Now given current economic times, this should not be surprising. But, we have felt for years that God has wanted us to simplify our lives. We found the perfect piece of property in the perfect part of town and we just knew this was a sign that God was ready for us to proceed. So, we bought the lot and waited...knowing God would bless us for following His will. Surely we would be the exception and be one of those stories where our house sold the day after putting the sign in the front yard, right?

So, I am in one of my moods. Those moods where I say "you know what God? What is the point in praying about this? You are just going to do whatever you want and obviously don't care that we are trying to do...what we thought you wanted." In essence, I was flipping God a bird if you want me to be quite frank. I tend to get a little irritable with God now and then.

I hear the echos of her voice in my head. "He loves me. He loves me. He loves me."

I look at her twirling in her sundress. It is Spring time and the dandelions are out of control, but this is a season that will pass. Immediately I start singing the Byrd's song "To everything turn, turn, turn" in my head because I pretty much relate everything in life to a song (although one of my friends has specifically told me that life does not have background music...but, I disagree). And although I am pretty sure this is an anti war song, there is a Biblical reference to it: "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV) So, I sit and ponder that verse for a moment.


Although the circumstances would make my human mind think that maybe this isn't God's plan, maybe that isn't it at all. Maybe part of God's plan is in the waiting. Maybe He is okay with being misunderstood because He sees the bigger picture...and while I wait, He is preparing something great.


So, I cling to the promise that everything He is doing is good...because He loves me. And I want to rush Him, but I don't want to screw up the goodness He has in store. So, while I wait, I will stop wavering back and forth like the effeuiller la marguerite game. No, I think I will adapt Ella's version and dance with a smile and just continually remind myself "He loves me. He loves me. He loves me."

Warriors for Christ

“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:34 (NAS)

Don't worry. I wish it was that easy. On a scale of 0-10, my anxiety level is probably a 4-5 on a good day. We are all living in hard times. Whether you have personally felt the weight of our dwindling country and economy or not,  it only takes about 30 seconds of reading yahoo news or watching your local news to get your nerves completely rattled...or feel depressed...or both. If you have children and care at all about their future, you can just multiply that anxiety level times ten. If you think it is hard to stand up for your beliefs now, can you imagine what it will be like for our children in 15-20 more years? 

It is why I think it is imperative for us to come together as a body of believers. We may be raising warriors for Christ, but we better have them well equipped for the battle.  As our oldest daughter approaches her 4th birthday, I think it is just now beginning to weigh on us as to our tremendous responsibility to prepare her for the world...and it has nothing to do with becoming an exquisite writer or a great mathematician. As the school years are quickly approaching, I am already feeling the anxiety of losing my innocent little girl. Actually, I am terrified if I am being honest. The world is so caught up in appeasing everyone, that there is no right or wrong anymore. How are these little ones going to grow to have any morals when our world teaches them to be accepting of everything?

Of course my issue has nothing to do with believing that God isn't capable. I have seen the miraculous...I certainly believe He can do anything.  My doubt lays in whether He WILL take care of all my worries. Do I really have that kind of faith? Or is it that I really doubt His love?

"Cast all you anxiety on Him, because he cares for you."
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

And I doubt sometimes whether He hears me. Certainly there are many parents who have gone before me with much stronger faith, yet their children still rebel against everything they have been taught to be real and true. Doesn't the bible say "Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6 NAS)? But that is just a proverb, not a promise. How can I know for sure that by simply guiding my child in the right path, that she/he will stay on that path? Granted I know it is all the work of the Spirit, but what is my role in this as the mother to their innocent and pure hearts?

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus "

Philippians 4:6-7 (NAS)

My role is to not only live a Godly life, but to pray for my children daily (let your request be known). Dear Lord, PLEASE guard my children's hearts!

 I love that word: guard. The Greek word is Phroureo and it literally means to protect by a military guard, either to prevent hostile invasion, or to keep the inhabitants of a besieged city from flight (via). This world is getting pretty hostile, so my heart feels peace just knowing that God has promised to protect our hearts. He literally says to come to Him in prayer and He will be our warrior. 

So today, and every day after, my prayer is that Jesus does in fact come in and guard our little ones hearts. They are going to need a mighty shield to protect them against the hurt, anger, and rebellion in our society. I pray to rest in peace knowing that God will fight for their hearts.

 

Wordless Wednesday: Everything

Tuesdays with Tabitha-Just Enough

Tuesdays with Tabitha

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19 (KJV)

The following in an excerpt from the devotional book, Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, in which the author writes  from Jesus’ point of view; the first person singular (I, Me, Mine) always refers to Christ, and “You” refers to the reader: 

Peace is My continual gift to you. It flows abundantly from My throne of grace.  Just as the Israelites could not store up manna for the future but had to gather it daily, so it is with My Peace.  The day-by-day collecting of manna kept My people aware of their dependence on Me.  Similarly, I give you sufficient Peace for the present, when you come to me by prayer and petition with thanksgiving.  If I gave you permanent Peace, independent of My Presence, you might fall into the trap of self-sufficiency.  May that never be!

I have designed you to need Me moment by moment.  As your awareness of your neediness increases, so does your realization of My abundant sufficiency.  I can meet every one of your needs without draining My resources at all.  Approach My throne of grace with bold confidence, receiving My Peace with a thankful heart.

As I read this devotion a few nights ago, I was reminded that God’s peace is readily available to us all, perfectly within grasp, yet it’s only ever just enough.

Never too little, never too much.

God is a loving, merciful, gracious Heavenly Father who wants to talk to us.  He wants us to bring Him our faults, our struggles, our temptations, our pleas, our thankfulness.  He created us-so He already knows our needs-but He wants us to pour our hearts out to Him in everything, and in return He offers us His remarkable peace, in perfect, single serving doses.

He gives us just what we need, when we need it.

Because if we came to Him just once and received all we needed for a lifetime, we would have no reason to ever come to Him again in dependence. We would then become self-sufficient, self-righteous, and would no longer feel the desire to seek Him.

The type A personality that I am often attempts to do everything myself, independent of God’s will and His plan for my life.  I constantly struggle with the need to do everything my way, and in my time, instead of just taking it to Jesus and letting him fix it, heal it, or carry it for me.  But it’s unnecessary for me to struggle with the burden of self-sufficiency when the One who holds the world in His hands is willing to listen to every desire of my heart and replace my pain with more love, grace, and mercy than I could ever need.  

So instead, I’ll strive to take each day-each moment-one at a time.  I’ll try my best to seek His presence in everything that I do and remember that when the ways of this world overwhelm me, all I have to do is look to Him for the strength and peace to make it through.

Because He’ll give me just enough.

What overwhelms you?

Do you struggle with finding God's peace?

Do you make it a point to talk to God throughout the day, remembering to seek Him and thank Him simultaneously?

A Nun's story

"Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders,  making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person." 

Colossians 4:5-6

I once worked with the loveliest lady who happened to have previously been a nun. Not being a Catholic, my only experience and knowledge of nun's were Julie Andrews from "The Sound of Music" and Audrey Hepburn in "The Nun's Story."  Although I will keep her secret with me until the day I die (simply out of respect), it would not take long to see that she is special. She has an incredible gift of mercy and compassion. She loves others the way I envision a nun would love and honor her church, its people, and the poor. She carries herself like a lady with much grace. Words of encouragement were always coming from her lips.

During my years as a nurse, I developed a few bad habits. Part of it was the environment and part of it was the mere fact that I was grown and finally out from under my parents wing. I was in my 20's and just starting to develop my sense of self and independence. I say that in hopes that others will understand there is the awkward time in your 20's where you are discovering who you are and we will extend grace (yet guide with tenderness and truth) to those during that time. We've all heard of awkward teens, but there can also be an awkward 20's for those of us who were slightly sheltered. For me, I was seeing some pretty intense things (I was a critical care nurse in the beginning of my career) at a young age. 

In order to deal with the pressures of the intense environment I was in, I not only developed a fabulous eating habit of coffee and hospital food, but I also developed the habit of profanity coming from my mouth. Although casual and innocent, it is a part of me that I sort of cringe at now. Not because my mouth is 100% pure at all times now (I'm pretty sure when I dropped my laptop on cement the other day that I muttered something not too pleasant under my breath...ahem), but because I thought it wasn't a big deal. (Remember, I am desperately trying to break free from legalism at this point...at any cost).

One particular day, I found myself talking out of frustration with my coworkers about a particular physician who was very hard to get along with. I am not sure what I said, but I'm sure there a few explicit words that exited my mouth and possibly a bird-flip behind his back.

My dear friend, the former nun, heard me and said something that has stuck with me forever and changed how I spoke with conviction: she said, "Sarah, your mouth is too beautiful and you are too beautiful to have such filth come from your mouth. It is not attractive. You have such a love for Jesus, it just does not exemplify your love for Him when you use profanity." 

I have always remembered that and very quickly changed what came out of my mouth. We are to be examples of Jesus...and I'm sure only beauty came from His lips. That is reason enough. (And really, it is easy to stop once you do it for awhile. You then start to see how ugly it really is when you hear others use profanity. ) There is a difference between being legalistic and holding yourself to a standard that is reflective of Jesus. A legalistic person would simply say "It's just bad. God doesn't like it. He frowns upon you when you do that." But someone who loves Jesus and embraces His grace, chooses to carry themselves in a certain way because we are the only Jesus that some people ever see. If I am saying that Christ lives in me, but am allowing profanity to exit my lips, you can see how this is a contradiction. It has nothing to do with being legalistic.

Whether it is profanity or even a substitute (we Christians love our substitute words...remember when saying oh fudge was so popular?), neither is showing the gentleness, kindness, and grace of Jesus. In essence, His reputation depends on us!

I am so thankful for my nun friend. She forever changed my view as to how I should handle myself in front of non believers. We often conform our ways when we are with nonbelievers. It is ironic that non believers are many times the least judgemental. This partly explains our lackadaisical attitude when amongst them, yet we put on our Jesus hats in front of our believing friends. We are asked to make the most of our opportunity with nonbelievers.  What a great reminder from the beautiful nun to have only words of Jesus' grace and love emerge from our lips.

Let's say goodbye to profanity!

A story for the brokenhearted

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NAS)

As a former critical care nurse, I have watched many "untimely" deaths. I have watched parents bury their children and young women die of breast cancer. Eventually, I moved to surgery thinking that less was likely to happen in that department. But, bad things still happened to good people. I have held the hands of many lonely elderly women and men as we watched their loved ones take their last breath. It has always been hard for me to understand why God chooses some to heal and others not.

I have this dear sister in Christ whom I met through the blog world. Her story is captivating, but it is her heart that is truly so beautiful. I feel honored to have watched her spiritual journey from afar. You see, Jess is only 30. A few years ago she met the man of her dreams. His name was Isaac.  She was a beautiful bride with an even more beautiful smile. But shortly thereafter, the man who she was supposed to be with for forever passed away. His young body filled with cancer.

Her testimony is one of the most touching stories I have heard in a long time. It is a story of a woman who did not have a fairy tale ending...but, continues to find joy in God's promises for her future. I introduce to you, Jessica:



The name Isaac means "he will laugh". How beautiful to think that He is with Jesus, no longer hurting, and laughing...filled with more joy than we can ever know on Earth. I love that although Jessica has experienced one of the worst tragedies, she held to the promise that God would help her find joy again...moments at a time. And even when she watched her husband leave her a widow at such a young age, she still believed that God was good.

I know many friends who are experiencing grief right now. May Jessica's story be one that encourages you and reminds you that God mends the brokenhearted.

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace..."

Isaiah 55:10-12 (NAS)

The Legacy of a Peacemaker

"Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be called the children of God"

Matthew 5:9(KJV)

A beautiful Easter morning just a little over 8 years ago, Jesus was reunited with one of His greatest followers. It was April 11th and she was getting ready to leave for church to worship the one she had loved the most her entire life when He called her home. No doubt she ran into her Savior's arms and He whispered into her ears "well done my child. well done." It is no coincidence she died on the very day we celebrated our Jesus' Resurrection. She was gentle, kind, humble, merciful, and only words of love ever left her lips. She was soft spoken and modest, never one to seek attention. She was a quiet servant...the kind I believe Jesus smiles on the most. She had little, but gave all that she had. She called all children angels. Her name was Louise, which means "famous warrior." A warrior she was indeed...a warrior for Christ.

She was my grandmother. You may not see her name in Wikipedia, but no doubt her name was written in God's book of life. She was not famous outside of her small hometown of Georgia, but she was famous in the eyes of her children and grandchildren. 

She would watch over me and my siblings every Monday and Tuesday when I was a young child while my mother went to work. Two things were always guaranteed on those two days: 1. she would always let me win at card games and play them with me all day long and 2. she would always allow me to help her cook scrambled eggs...even though we did once burn a hole in my Strawberry Shortcake robe.

When we weren't making eggs or playing go fish, I got to listen to her amazing fingers glide across the fingers of our old piano. She once won a scholarship to the Boston Conservatory...but, she would never tell you that. She would always humbly proclaim that she could not play that well, but listening to her play the infamously difficult Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy would prove otherwise. "Play it again, Play it again!" we would all plead. I still get tears in my eyes when I hear that song...not because it makes me sad...but, because it reminds me of someone who was Jesus in my life. 

Although she always told our parents that we were "perfect angels" every single week, only she knew that my brother, sister, and I were squawking at each other the entire time. She would always in her sweet and meek way proclaim "be a peacemaker. Just be a peacemaker." Those words have stayed with me all those years because she herself was a peacemaker. 

Maybe it was because the memory of her was fresh on my mind, as I had been thinking of the anniversary of her death just days before. I was washing dishes and my three year old and 19 month old twins were squabbling over a toy. "Be a peacemaker! Be a peacemaker!" I shouted at my older daughter. 

With confused eyes she stopped her squabbling and handed over the toy to her brother and sister and asked "Mommy, what is a peacemaker?" 

(Hmmm...how do I explain this to a 3 year old??) I show her the verse in the Bible and find myself trying to explain the Beatitudes. "It means we are not to be greedy or selfish. It means we share and do not fight with others. It means we always seek to give and love...even if the other person does not deserve it." I try and explain more, but I am not sure I am really getting through to her.

"Oh!" she says "So it means we are supposed to love, share, and take care of each other even if our brother and sister are being mean to us."

I smile. "Yes. exactly." (I am pretty sure at this moment that Jesus has His arm wrapped around Louise and says to her "See my child. See the legacy you have left behind.") Not only has my preschool aged child so perfectly and simply described a peacemaker, but she has also defined grace.

It always goes back to grace. To extend grace is to be a peacemaker. And this is something that only God can provide when he dwells in us. To be a peacemaker is to exemplify Christ. 

The song Clair de lune is french for "moonlight". The light is not actually from the moon itself, but mostly from sunlight. And like the moonlight, our light does not come from us...but from Christ shining and reflecting on us. How beautiful is that?

Wordless Wednesday-Forever Reign

Nothing compares to your embrace...

Tuesdays with Tabitha: Distractions

Tuesdays with Tabitha 

  "And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
Matthew 14:29-31 (KJV)

Even with Jesus directly in front of Peter, he still looked away. And that distraction-the simple release of eye contact-changed everything.

The disciples thought He was a ghost at first, and were terrified as they watched the shadowy figure walking across the waves as effortlessly as if they were rolling hills of grass. And even as Jesus released words of comfort to them, telling them not to be afraid, they still doubted; full of fear as their tiny boat tossed recklessly on the choppy water.

But not Peter. Consumed by a sudden burst of adrenaline, he eagerly asked for Jesus to prove it was really Him, allowing him to defy gravity and walk across the glassy sea. And Jesus said, “Come.”

Excited and petrified at the same time, Peter jumped right in and began the otherwise impossible walk across the water of the ocean, focused steadily on Jesus just ahead. He must have felt so incredibly free, placing one foot in front of the other, weightless, fearless, and full of faith, looking directly into the eyes of God’s Son while accomplishing the unthinkable.

Then suddenly, right in the middle of a miracle, Peter’s eyes fell off of Jesus and darted nervously at his surroundings. He was caught off guard by the rushing wind, the enormous swells of waves, and the fact that it was anything but natural for him to be doing what he was doing at that very moment.

The fear gripped him as gravity took over and he began to sink deeper into the dark, cold water. He was drowning, but he knew better than to try to swim. Acknowledging there was only one way he would survive, he cried out to Jesus, and immediately he was lifted safely out of the water and walked gently back to the ship, no doubt completely embarrassed as Jesus comforted him and questioned his lack of faith.

Peter and I, we would have been great friends.  I don't want the Lord to have to ask me where my faith is. I want to keep my eyes locked onto His, so engulfed in His magnificent presence that nothing in this life can distract me. I want to walk on the water-straight to Him-and never miss a beat.  Pure, unblemished, child like faith.

But this world is full of distractions. And just like Peter, I often start out brave. I jump in head first, full of faith and a plan, ready to walk on the water straight to Jesus. But then my eyes leave His for just a split second, and the fear creeps back in. I'm always distracted, so easily swallowed up by doubt and suddenly I'm drowning, sinking fast into a sea of distress and worry.

But unlike Peter, I often try to swim back to the boat myself, instead of reaching for Jesus.

That’s where Peter had it right. He knew better than to swim, he knew his only chance of survival rested in Jesus. Although his eyes had fallen off of the Lord, he still had enough sense to cry out to Him, knowing that He was right in front of him and more effective than a life raft ever could be. And just as he suspected, Jesus immediately pulled him up.

Immediately.

Jesus didn't hesitate, leaving Peter to tread water in a panic while He questioned his faith, making him suffer just a little to learn his lesson. Instead, He grabbed his hand and pulled him to safety the very second that His name escaped Peters lips, leading him back to the boat and ceasing the wind all in one swift, powerful move.

I always wonder what would have happened to Peter had he not taken his eyes off Jesus. Can you imagine? To have walked across the ocean, directly into the arms of Jesus? What an incredible story that would have been! But the Lord knew that we needed to read the imperfect version, the one where Peter failed. So that we could know that even when life throws distractions at us-and in our moments of weakness we give into them-there is still hope.

Just as Jesus was right in front of Peter that night, He’s always right in front of us. In Hebrews 13:15 He tells us He'll never leave us or forsake us-ever-and we can rest assured that His promises are true. The wind will roar and the enemy will heave troubles directly at us in attempt to tear our eyes away from Jesus. But instead of treading water and trying desperately not to drown-or worse; swimming back to the boat by ourselves-all we have to do is cry out to Jesus, and He’ll meet us there.
Wherever we are.

In what ways are you similar to Peter? In what ways are you different?
What distractions does the enemy throw at you in attempt to keep your eyes off Jesus?
How could you be better prepared to fight these distractions?

Love one another (Part 3)

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful ;  and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,  not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. " 

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NAS)

Through life we continue to build up walls. We guard our hearts, but we also shut people out. We learn to rely on ourselves partly because that is what society teaches us, but also because we have built up so much distrust in others. Perhaps the most distressing is the divide and distrust that is between Christians. I hear many say "I believe in God, but I don't believe in organized religion." This is so disheartening...because Jesus sure believed in coming together as a Body of Believers. And while we all have scars that we have carried from our childhood bullies or the mean girls in the locker room, the scars that have been caused by the Church are the hardest to bury.

Within the Body, we hurt each other because of differences in theology or because of pride. It is not unusual to see churches divide. And while it is okay to have different interpretations, we are too busy calling foul, calling someone a heretic, and damning everyone to Hell to truly love one another. No wonder so many people walk away from the church. Shouldn't church be a place of encouragement and love? Shouldn't we embrace each other as brothers and sisters AND sinners?

Love one another, love one another, love one another. Depending on which translation you read of the Bible, the word love is used at least 300 times (and usually closer to 600 in most translations).  Of course, loving someone doesn't mean that you just shrug off sin. We are supposed to help each other when we are living in sin...by loving.  We need each other. That is one of the main reasons why church is so important:

 "Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up."

 Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NAS)

It doesn't have to do with attendance records. It is because we desperately need each other. Society is wrong. This why so many of us suffer with loneliness: we believe the lie that we can make it on our own. Sure you can physically survive. But, spiritually, God has given us each other as brothers and sisters because He knew that more could be done for His glory this way.

I have walked in those shoes of disdain. My heart turned cold and I had a huge distaste for "organized" religion. If a Sunday was missed, I felt like someone was keeping an eye on me. This was more of me being rebellious than anything else, but it was also because I felt more love and acceptance from non believers than those who called themselves Christians. I always felt this pressure from Christians to constantly be "better" and "improving". I would always leave church feeling like a failure. I'd see other women grow in their walk and I felt left behind because I wasn't where they were spiritually. I felt like I needed to clean myself up before I could even be in their presence. It seems in the midst of it all, grace was all forgotten. And if I felt this being a "good girl", can you imagine how others feel who have some serious visible sin? How rejected they must feel! They must feel like they are walking around with a scarlet letter.

And this breaks my heart. Because they should feel loved. It doesn't mean that we ignore their sin; it means we lift them up and encourage them when they are being spiritually shaken. Those with deeply rooted sin are the ones who need us the most.

My prayer today is that the Lord will use us to love those who need it most but who we feel deserve it the least; that by the power of the Spirit we will be able to believe the best of others instead of jumping to negative conclusions...seeing them as hopeless; and that we will SEE people's hurts and encourage them in their pain and trials...that we can show them the hope in knowing Christ.

 Love someone who needs it today. We so desperately need each other.

Sunday Scripture-A Cheerful Giver

"Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

2 Corinthians 9:7 (NAS)

Saturdays with Shawn: God's artistry

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 Take a moment today to reflect on the glory of God's artistry - the beauty reflected in nature.

The details are a product of His vision, His creativity, His workmanship - created especially for you.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
Psalm 19:1

Love one another (Part 2)

"Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves."

Romans 15:1 (NAS)

"Why is that you never cry? Is this just a typical man thing?" I asked my husband many years ago. (For the record, I've only seen him cry once in the almost 14 years we have been together...and that was when his heart was in atrial flutter and an ambulance rushed him to the hospital. I think he was scared he was going to die.)

"No, I was made fun of when I was a young boy for crying at school whenever the other kids made fun of me. They would tease me about my hair cut or for liking a girl and they knew that it would embarrass me. And then in middle school, one of my life long friends saw an opportunity to be in the cool crowd and started making fun of me. So, I basically learned how to not cry. I didn't want them to know the hurt they had caused. They would literally say things just to see me cry. Sometimes I wish I could cry though."

Scars. We all have them. We have all caused them as well. If only it was the innocence of immature children. But sadly, the hurts are only deeper the older we get. We stab harder, use more sarcasm, make fun of each other at another persons expense. We hurt others because we ourselves are hurt. And it is wrong. If only we could see the joy that comes from loving others, perhaps we could break this cycle of pain. 

Sometimes we do it because we refuse to help carry someone's burden. We gloss over others feelings because we don't want to share their pain. It's like the person who tells someone whose loved one who has just died "you should be happy they are in a better place." Really? This is how we love someone who is grieving? We tell them they should not feel normal human emotions? Talk about kicking someone when they are already down. No, we are not purposely trying to hurt them. But we are.

At family affairs, we tease each other and rehash old embarrassments. But who is laughing? Generally not the one being teased. For them, it is bringing back an old wound that so desperately wants to fade away. Some may say "get a sense of humor." I say, "if we knowingly know it hurts them, why do we keep doing it? If it makes them turn red with embarrassment and they are not laughing, why do it?" But we do it...to our friends, our families, to those we are supposed to love the most. We push away friends when they don't fit into our perfect mold any more.

"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."

1 Peter 1:22 (NIV-italics are my emphasis)

How desperately I pray that my own children will love the shy boy on the playground! I see my oldest daughter who is almost 4 and there is no question that she is strikingly beautiful. But, I pray...of how I pray that her heart would be even more beautiful...that she would be the girl to stand up for the girl crying in the bathroom stall. Most parents worry about their child being made fun of...but me...I just want my child to be the one who holds their hand out for the hurting souls. To love them.

At what age do we stop thinking we are so much better than another? When is it that we start to think our sin isn't as bad as another persons? When will we realize how much we all just desperately want to be loved...loved with our uncool haircuts or bad perfume...loved despite our past bad decisions. Loved even if we are just grumpy and mean. When will we start loving the way Jesus has commanded? 

(To be continued)

Love one another (Part 1)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35 (NIV)

I was eleven years old. The new girl in school in a new town. I was from a smallish town and now living in the big city/suburbs of Atlanta. My parents were typical middle class Americans. We never struggled financially, but my parents were always extremely frugal. My mother was the coupon queen way before reality shows about extreme couponers ever came about. As a 31 year old mother of 3 children myself, I can now appreciate the frugality I was taught at such a young age. But as a pre adolescent...well, I just wanted to fit in. I wanted a pair of Guess jeans with zippers on the ankles and Clinique makeup. I had to settle for an off brand pair of jeans from TJ Maxx and Cover Girl makeup. 

I tried to offset my unfashionable self by dousing myself in what I was sure to be my saving grace in the cool department:  Revlon's  Jean Nate' after bath splash. I proudly wore that fragrance that my mother had given me. I even carried it in my gym bag and would douse myself in it after playing dodge ball or running track in PE. Even as a band geek, I was sure that something like the fragrance I wore would bring me up a couple notches in the cool department.

I've always been a modest girl. I mostly contribute this to the fact that I never had a womanly figure until my mid-20's (On my wedding day, I barely weighed 100 pounds and was 5'4.). And although I love and embrace my more "petite" figure now, I did not love it in the sixth grade when I weighed only 60 pounds and had zero girlish curves to speak of. While other girls would change clothes in front of each other in the locker room without any hesitation, I always quietly hid myself in a bathroom stall, embarrassed of my pre-adolescent body. And there was this one particular day that pretty much made me want to crawl in a hole for the remainder of my adolescence:

"What's that smell?" she asked her friends.

"It's that stinky girl again with her stinky perfume." one of the others replied followed by roars of laughter from the other girls in the locker room. 

I remained hidden in the bathroom stall until everyone was gone. I was already unfashionable and apparently now had earned the nickname of "stinky girl".  Hot tears streamed down my face. I threw my bottle of Jean Nate' body splash away that day...along with what little self esteem I had before being called stinky girl. Why were they so cruel? Did they not know my heart? Could they not see that even though I didn't have the greatest wardrobe (or perfume), all I wanted was for someone to love me? For someone to call me friend? I had so much love to give. Yet, now I carried a battle scar.

Oh, the scars that we carry caused by the words of others. None of us are innocent. We have all hurt someone with the words that pass our lips and our actions or lack thereof. Are we not all different and quirky in our own ways? Jesus sure befriended and loved some less than stellar people. 

And the hurt just passes from one person to the next...all attempts at masking our own scars. Instead of loving people, we are sarcastic and hurtful. People love to get their pleasure from other peoples pain. 

Last week, we drove past a passed out homeless man. He laid in the middle of the side walk and one would have to step over him as he had turned that sidewalk into his bed. What had happened to him I wondered? What was the turning point that he was now passed out at 10am in the South Florida heat? What scars did he carry? Was he picked on in school? I wanted to go talk to him, but I don't think my husband would have understood the point. What would I say anyway?

"Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person."

Colossians 4:6 (NAS) 

The incident in the bathroom would not be the last time I would be made fun of during those awkward years. If there is anything I can teach my children it is to love and extend compassion to those that are not wearing designer jeans and may be wearing old drugstore perfume. I want them to stand up for the girl who is crying in the bathroom stall and to hug the poor man laying on sidewalk. I don't want sarcasm and rudeness to come from their lips...their mouths are too beautiful for such things. 

How does a mother teach her child that?

 Even harder, how does a mother teach her children to love those who hurt them? To forgive them?

It was a three word command. Love one another. 

Love each other like Jesus' loves us. With grace, compassion, and mercy.

It seems so simple. Yet, we all fail at this. 

(To be continued)

  

 

Wordeless Wednesday-Love Song

Third Day "Love Song"

I've heard it said that a man would climb a mountain

Just to be with the one he loves

How many times has he broken that promise

It has never been done.

I've never climbed the highest mountain

But I walked the hill of calvary

Just to be with you, I'd do anything

There's no price I would not pay

Just to be with you, I'd give anything

I would give my life away.

I've heard it said that a man would swim the ocean

Just to be with the one he loves

How may times has he broken that promise

It can never be done

I've never swam the deepest ocean

But I walked upon the raging sea

Just to be with you, I'd do anything

There's no price I would not pay

Just to be with you, I'd give anything

I would give my life away.

I know that you don't understand

the fullness of My love

How I died upon the cross for your sins

And I know that you don't realize

how much that I gave you

But I promise, I would do it all again.

Just to be with you, I've done everything

There's no price I did not pay

Just to be with you, I gave everything

Yes, I gave my life away.

Doubting Thomas

 Now Thomas (Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.' A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said 'Peace be with you!' Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.' Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.' "

John 20:24-29

The mere existence of doubt that sneaks into my heart no doubt causes me much grief and anguish. You know how people ask "if you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?" Some may say their height or weight, others their career choice or fortune...but me? I'd change my wayward heart. I understand what the Bible means about having faith like a child...I am jealous of those who do. I wish my faith was simple. But I question...yet, I continue to seek the answers even though I know that I will not know the answers to everything.

But is doubting a lack of faith or simply an expression of faith? I once read somewhere that the depth of our doubt is roughly proportionate to the depth of our faith. I sort of chuckle as I read those words because I immediately think "well that's good news for me!! My faith must be great then!"

The problem with doubt is that it is never satisfied. It is why we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7-NAS translation) The actual Greek word for faith in this context is pistiß (Pistis) and it means to have conviction of the truth. When a jury convicts someone, it means they have been given enough evidence and have been strongly persuaded to believe something.

Thomas and I are dear friends. We both desired proof that Jesus was really who He said He was. I often feel people like Thomas (and myself) are misunderstood. Thomas wasn't out to disprove Jesus. No, He loved Jesus very much (read John 11:16-Thomas was willing to die with Him...now that's love!!!). If we are growing in our faith, we are going to have to stretch ourselves and continue to seek truth. This is where I believe that doubt can be so beneficial to our spiritual growth. A scary season, yes, but one that is sometimes necessary to become more intimate in our relationship with God. I could almost go as far to say that those who doubt are the ones are truly seeking to understand and know God.

It is a beautiful thing when we confess our doubts to God or our other fellow believers. In my own life, I have felt like when I felt like I confessed my doubts to God, He used that to bring me closer to Him. With so much new age thinking, such as universalism, that there really is no physical satan, or that Jesus was the son of God, but not actually God as preached in the trilogy...well,  it's no wonder many of us find ourselves almost in a state of anxiety as we search for truth. We hear the Calvinists, the Arminians, the Baptists, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Catholics...sometimes getting deep in theology can make your head spin.

Like doubting Thomas, I continue to trust in Jesus. Trusting Him to bring me through my doubts, trusting that His will is better than my own (I would certainly screw it all up anyway!), and trusting that He does in fact love me. So there are two cures for doubters: 1. Seek Him (read the Bible and pray) and/or 2. You must come to a place where you say, I'm just going to trust that this is true even if I don't completely understand it all...even if I have unanswered questions. Because like Thomas, I am completely in awe and love my Jesus. And through my seeking, He always draws me closer to His truth.

What are your doubts about Christianity? 

What troubles you the most?

Are you seeking Him during these times or allowing your heart to grow hardened?

He Loves Us More

Tuesdays with Tabitha

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are Ye not much better than they?
Matthew 6:26 (KJV)

In a world full of selfishness, anger, and disapointment, it's almost impossible to ever feel good enough.

We all spend our lives trying to earn some form of Grace. Sometimes its from a family member who will never approve, an employer who can't get enough, or a friend who makes you feel small.

Or maybe you're trying to earn Grace from a God who you feel is impossible to please.

But the Bible shows us that everyone and everything God created is significant. Not a single sparrow falls from the sky that He doesn't see. And that sparrow that He loves so much?

He loves you more.

John 3:16 clearly outlines this love by explaining that God even gave His son to die for us so that we can have eternal life by simply believing on His name.

For free.

We can't earn it, that's why its called Grace. It's a free gift, completely unmerited favor, undeserved, and just waiting to be accepted.

God knew that in this life, we would feel the need to earn grace and work for love. But He makes it clear that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, not powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature would be able to seperate us from the love of God! (Romans 8:38-39)

God knows we aren't perfect. He knows we have faults. But He also knows that the blood of Jesus has the power to cover our sins, cleansing us in every way that we could ever fall short. And because of that, we can come to Him and know that we are loved with the deepest, purest, most intense love possible.

God loves everything on this earth that He created, even the birds.

But He loves us more.

Do you often find yourself trying to earn Grace?
When the world leaves you feeling small, do you sometimes forget to take comfort in knowing that Gods love never fails?

Sunday Scripture-Easter

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. 

Mark 16:1-8  (NIV translation) 

Saturdays with Shawn: Easter Reflections

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 As we reflect on the fulfilled promise of Jesus, I pray that your spirit be renewed & strengthened. 

There is a reason to celebrate, and His name is Jesus!

Son of the Highest, Luke 1:32

Author of eternal salvation, Hebrews 5:9

Alpha and Omega, Revelation 1:8

Truth, John 14:6

Mighty One of Israel, Isaiah 30:29

Lord of all, Acts 10:36

He knows every single detail of your life.

May his blessing be yours this Easter season. 

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said."

Matthew 28:6

Saturdays with Shawn is brought to you by the owner of Sweet Praises, Shawn Anderson. To read and follow more beautiful and inspiring things from Shawn, click here. To check out her online boutique, click on the link below.

www.sweetpraises.com

It is finished

"...It is finished..."

John 19:30

Finished in Greek is Teleo which is defined as generally involving the notion of time, to perform the last act which completes a process, to accomplish, fulfill.

Those three words were the hope that Jesus gave us.
God forgives sin only because of the death of Jesus. Of course He loves us, but the only reason He can forgive us of our sins is that someone else took the punishment for those sins.

It was finished does not mean "I am finished because I failed".
It is finished was His shout of victory!
He was victorious over our sins!
He accomplished exactly what He came here for.

 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

It was one of the greatest prophesies to be fulfilled. 

That because of His wounds, we are healed.

So that all the world would sing His great name: Jesus!

There was no price He wouldn't pay. 

Even death. He died so that we could live.

It is truly the greatest love story of all time.

The Greatest Con Artist in History-Putting Jesus on Trial

" 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I am!'  At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds." 

John 8:58-59, NIV translation

There are few who will argue the actual existence of this famous man named Jesus. I would even say that most atheists I have met even agree that there was a man named Jesus who was a very good man. Or as in my post on Monday, there are those who think it all sounds really nice.The question most of us are trying to reason in our hearts and head is this:

Was Jesus really God in the form of man: both fully man and fully God?

Or was Jesus just the greatest con artist in history? A complete liar?

For those who are not sure he existed, there are several people that have written about the existence of Jesus outside of the Bible. Cornelius Tacitus in 55 AD wrote that Christ suffered at the hands of Pontius Pilate. This is an example of a non biblical writer recording the existence of Jesus. There are several others. These writings make a strong argument for the existence of Jesus.

As far as actually being God, well Jesus claimed many times that He was indeed divine. (We can talk about this in another post-it is a great topic of discussion and one of great importance that deserves its own post. In the verse above, Jesus says "I am". The Greek word is "eimi" and it means to exist or be present. So Jesus was saying He was around long before Abraham. Jesus used this because He knew it would be familiar to the Jews. In the Old Testament, God had referred to himself as "I am" in Exodus 3:14.

If one doesn't deny the existence of Jesus (and if you study history, few educated people would deny the existence of this man), yet deny He was the Messiah, then you are essentially calling him a liar. A complete con artist in modern day terms. If that is true, he was the greatest con man to have ever lived!! Dare I say the longest living lie in history? Whether you believe or not, it is amazing indeed that this possible con is still around today. We can't say that about Zeus, can we?

Have you ever known a con artist to die for a great hoax willingly? Have there ever been others like Him? Many people throughout history have claimed they are God or have some kind of supernatural powers like God (hello, anyone remember David Koresh?). For this reason, there is nothing wrong with questioning Jesus' claim to be God. Maybe he was just delusional or a con-artist just like the others?? However, maybe Jesus is actually telling the truth, and He actually is God and did perform miracles. How can we ever know for sure if He was telling the truth or was just another madman? Let's put Him to the test...put Him on trial! So here are some of the reasons why I believe that Jesus was different from all other people.

Science/Evolution does not disprove the existence of God. In fact I believe it confirms His existence. It's common knowledge that everything that has come into existence had to have a cause for its existence. Therefore, there has to be something that never came into existence in order for there to be anything at all. Nothing cannot make something. So either the universe must be infinite or there must be an infinite God. The problem is that science has shown that the universe is not infinite. Thus, something must be beyond it. This alone leads me to believe there has to be some sort of deity.

Up until Christ's resurrection, many of His followers were doubters. Peter (as well as others) denied even knowing Jesus (and Peter's denial was something He prophesied would happen as well as other things he prophesied). However, after Christ's resurrection many of the doubters became instantly bold in their teachings and martyred for their faith. What would cause these men to change so drastically if it wasn't for the fact Jesus actually was resurrected? I love how Jesus appeared before Thomas because he did not believe Jesus had been resurrected. (Another great guy who deserves his own post! Doubting Thomas and I are great friends).

 Even liberal scholars agree that The first epistle of Paul, the apostle to the Corinthians (often referred to as 1 Corinthians) was written around 55 AD.  1 Corinthians 15 states that Jesus' resurrected body was seen by over 500 people at the exact same time, and that these people were still alive!

Finally, one final note that I believe shows that Jesus was more than just a man a great man was all the fulfilled prophecies about who the Messiah was to be. If Jesus really wanted people to believe He was God, He had to do more than simply act like the Messiah here on earth. He had to fulfill prophecies about Himself.  The Old Testament states how the Messiah was to be born (Isaiah 7:14) and where (Micah 5:2). But, perhaps the most beautiful prophesy of all is Isaiah 53: 4-5 (in my opinion):

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Isn't that the most beautiful verse?

This week I challenge you to think like those accusers during Jesus' final days. Bring your hard questions to Him. Although there will be some things we can not understand on this side of Heaven, there is enough proof that He is worth our time to get to know. He is worth putting our faith into. And when you start to seek Him with all your heart, you will indeed find Him. And it will be the greatest love story of your life.

When we begin to see Jesus for who He was. That He was God. That He didn't need us, but He WANTED us. Friends, this is when we find the offering of grace. Those stones that were thrown at Him and His death on the cross...for you. Only a Father would be willing to die for His children that He loves and adores. No con man would ever do that!

Why (Wordless Wednesday)

Why

By, Nichole Nordeman

Peace, Promises, & Holding Still

"Be still, and know that I am God..."

Psalms 46:10 (KJV)

Tuesdays with Tabitha

God promises us lots of things, like eternal life, gold streets, mansions, and a brand new, perfect body.

But He never promised us a smooth ride here.

In fact, He warns us that this life is anything but easy (John 16:33) and is instead laced thick with endless trials and tribulations, valleys, and persecution. Oh, and the more you strive to serve Him? The worse the attacks will be.

Life is hard.

Our fears, our struggles, our sins, our temptations, our weeknesses and our clutter; they're all different. We don't all fight the same battles, and our problems don't fit snugly into the same shaped mold.

But there's hope.

Our defense-our secret weapon- is to stay in constant communication with Jesus; to pray without ceasing. This allows us the sweet relief of living far above our circumstances even while dwelling in the midst of the fast-paced mess that is this life.

We yern for life to be simple, carefree, and easy. We long for things to go our way, seeking God's will but secretly hoping it will align with our own. Wishing that the storms would clear for even just one minute because if they would, we finally be able to set still and commune with God in peace.

But God's ways are not our own, and He'd much rather we hold tight to His hand through the storms and glory in tribulations, knowing that the trials we face in this life are molding us into who God needs us to be. Because if life were perfect, if we never faced trials in this life, we wouldn't turn to Him.

We'd never hold still, and just know that He is.

Instead of wishing that life were simple, decluttered and free of pain, God longs for us to relinquish the fantasy of a perfect world and instead hold still and listen for His still, small voice over the mess of lifes raging storms.

And when we do, He promises to give us His limetless Grace, and a peace that passes all understanding.

What hardships do you face in this life that keep you from hearing God's still, small voice?
Can you think of a time in your life when you felt the presence of God right there with you as you weathered a storm?
In the midst of our fast paced, cluttered world, what would it take for you to "be still" and know that He is God?

Seek and you will find

"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."

Matthew 7:7-8, NIV

"If you are real, God, let me hear your voice. Let me see your face. If you are real, then why be so mysterious? Why not make it easier for people to believe?!" This phrase in some form or fashion has exited my lips more than I am willing to admit. The truth is, having faith in what I perceived to be an invisible God proved to be very difficult for me in the past. If I am being honest, there are still days where having faith is difficult...usually because life is not going as I desire and I feel like God must be absent or not care. As a nurse, I held the hands of those who were dying of cancer...many who were much too young to leave this Earth. How could a truly loving God take a mother away from her young children?

A few years back, I was hanging out with a friend at our neighborhood pool. We sat on the side (me burning to a crisp of course and unaware of the wrinkles I would get from all this tanning in my 20s...I digress) and watched her daughter splash around in the water. She, herself, was agnostic. She told me how her daughter had been going with a friend to Vacation Bible School and had wanted to get baptized. The mother, my friend, was hesitant only because she was not sure her daughter really knew what that meant...what it symbolized. She was not trying to discourage her at all, which I found very admirable. When I asked her about her own beliefs she said "You know. I want Jesus to be real and true. I mean, it all sounds really nice, but I just don't know if it is true."

Agnostic or follower of Christ, I think we can all relate to this statement. When you really study the Bible, it truly is the greatest love story ever told. But is that all it is? A really nice story? Why didn't God make it easier to believe if He really exists?

The truth is, He did come so that we could believe. He came to this Earth and His name was Jesus. He was both fully man and fully God. He performed miracles. He hung out with prostitutes and outcasts. He showed nothing but love and mercy...yet, people still didn't believe Him!! He tried to make it easier to believe. He did in fact show His face. Do you believe in history? Why is that we believe Socrates existed and he was born in 469 BC, yet we can't believe in the history of this man named Jesus?

In Greek, the word for "seek" is zēteō. It is a verb and literally means to require, crave, and demand something from someone. I love that God uses such a strong word that means demand. It makes me think of the scripture in Mark 9:24 where the father of a boy who is healed by Jesus exclaims "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" This man recognized that faith is something that is God given, but he had to ask for it: "everyone who asks receives (see verse above)". It should be added that there is also grace involved,  as faith and grace (grace is the free gift you are given of salvation for having faith) are not mutually exclusive.  I'm going to keep this elementary: you want faith? Ask Him. He promises if we seek, we shall find. And know that it can be a process. Don't give up on Him. 

If you are already a believer, you don't even have to look. His spirit already dwells in you. He is there. But we are often too busy seeking our own will and desires instead of allowing Him to live through us. It is when we allow this that we can see his face. It's not that He is absent....no, He is always pulling us back as hard as He can. But, we are so resistant. It is our constant battle of self/flesh vs. God, even though we know in our hearts that God knows best.

Be persistent in your quest to know God. Our world has jaded who God is. Christians are notorious for eating their own. It's no wonder so many want nothing to do with this Jesus man we claim to believe in and love. But, you are His beloved. You are His child. He will do anything and has done everything to be with you. Don't let your doubts keep you from seeking. God doesn't rebuke people because of doubts. The Bible is full of people who doubted Him. He is big enough to handle our doubts.

The Most Beautiful Prayer: Jesus Prays

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.  Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

John 17:20-26 

 NIV translation

(bold=emphasis mine)

Imagine you were with Him at the last supper. As this prayer was not just for those disciples that were with Him. But, He PRAYED for all of us. And He even says He wants you to know that you are loved.