Tag Archives: Truth

Being Intentional

26 Jul

praise

I am one of those gals that needs to be very careful and intentional with my faith.

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home so I lack a lot of the discipline and understanding that happens when you grow up in a faith filled family.  Being honest here,  I struggle immensely with my worldliness because I have lived and tasted that life, while shallow and lacking in substance, was still thrilling and fun.  I sometimes, maybe much like an addict, will see or hear something that gives me a hunger for a lifestyle long (mostly) forgotten.  It just sneaks in there without much cause or warning and I am left battling my heart against my flesh.  The enemy is tricky and knows where I am weakest.  Lucky for me, my God is stronger than my worst temptation and I know the more I seek Him the easier it will become to rely on the promises of our living God.

Romans 12:2 says-“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”.  Sanctification can begin as soon as I surrender and seek the will of God in my life but I can’t do this unless I am intentional with that relationship because it doesn’t come naturally-but as time goes on it does get easier.  Staying faithful requires endurance, much like a seasoned athlete, it takes careful preparation, training, and focus on the ultimate goal-which for me is having everlasting life.

What do I do to be intentional and remain in the Word?  First, I have to keep my Bible in plain sight along with a devotional or Bible study. Why is reading the Bible important?  Ephesians 6:11 says-“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” and Ephesians 6:17 goes on to say-“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”.   We have to be ready to face the enemy (Ephesians 6:17) and unbelievers (1 Peter 3:15) we do this by knowing the word of God.  In Matthew 4:4  Jesus says,  “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

It is important that I get involved in church and ministries.  God wants believers to come together in fellowship. Proverbs 27:17 says ” Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” When the body of Christ comes together we can restore each other (Galatians 6:1 and James 5:19-20), to love and encourage each other (I Thessalonians 5:11 and Hebrews 10:25-27), and to bear each others burdens and to forgive one another (Galatians 6:2 and Cololassians  3:13).  By coming together as the body of Christ we become more refined, effective in our calling, and have brothers and sisters in Christ directing us away from temptation.

Finally, I need opportunities to serve and love my neighbors.  Romans 12:13 says, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”  By doing this, I can be a reflection of Christ’s love.  A concrete reminder that being the hands and feet of Christ demonstrates His love for all in a way that is selflessly sacrificial.

My brothers and sisters, how do you stay intentional?  I would love to know!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

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A Season of Transition

20 Jul

I have entered a new season of my life.  Let me go back a few steps.  I have spent the last several years helping lead a ministry that is for mother’s of preschoolers and younger.  I built close friendships and a tight community.  It was such a blessing to me to see how God worked in the lives of these mama’s who were just beginning their journey as wives and mother’s.  I was blessed enough to share my heart with these ladies about marriage, motherhood, and how God can use them in small but signifigant ways in this busy season of their lives.

This past May, I graduated out of the group.  I no longer had little ones so my time came to an end.  I spent so much of my time dedicated to this group, so when I left, I felt an extra large void in my life.  I kind of felt like two iron doors chained and locked closed behind me and I was left with an armful of memories and no clear direction to where I should go.  Please note that these are still very dear welcoming friends, I just don’t belong there in the same way I did before.  I was so focused on this ministry I was lost as to where to go next.  So I wandered…….

I spent time in prayer but was in a period of waiting on the Lord to lead my path.  The Lord chose not to answer right away.  I think he was refining me by teaching me patience and trust in His will for me.  It is hard to wait.  I wanted to jump right in to something else because I had a hundred ideas of things I wanted to do but didn’t have peace about.  In this time I had to neatly fold all my plans and lay them at the altar knowing that the will of God is so much greater than all the neat ideas I have swimming around in my head.

Several months ago God brought Titus 2: 3-5 to mind.  I kept thinking I have many Godly older women mentors-maybe God wanted me to have more?  I continued to pray about it and several weeks later while reading it for the hundreth time I finally got it!  God was telling me that I am the older women being spoken about in the verses.  Seriously? I was thinking, first, I have to leave a ministry I love and now God is telling me that I am old.

Reading this, I came to understand that the older women were teaching the younger women-I have daughters, I have a community of young wives and moters comming up right behind me.  I have almost 18 years of being a mama under my belt along with countless other experiences.  God has given me the gift of wisdom.  Am as as wise as I will ever be?  No, of course not, but enough to be an encouragement to other younger women.  To walk beside them as they are journeying a path I already took.

God is taking my youngish self and gathering my experiences and strengths and channeling them into something just as wonderful but different-and I am starting to be OK with it, dare I say excited.

God, gave me this precious break to regroup and put my focus right back on Him.  This has given me a more mature deeper relationship to the One who loves me most.  I’m still not sure what exactly all that God has in store for me but I do know that I can wait and trust in His perfect timing (proverbs 3:5-6).

Are you in a season of transition?  How is God working in your life during this time?  I would love to know!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~
Rebecca

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God Will Meet You Where You Are

18 Jul

Finding a quiet moment when you are parenting little ones can be tricky.  There is never enough hours in the day.  Sleep is a precious commodity, and going to the bathroom alone requires careful orchestration. We are busy caring for our children and husbands, tackling a never ending laundry pile, cooking dinner, running errands, and a hundred other things.  Something has to give and unfortunately that usually means our quiet time (guilty!). Carving out a few minutes to meet alone with the Lord each day is so important-especially in this busy season. What are the benefits? Many. We get direction and wisdom from His word (Psalm 25:4-5).  We grow more like God and His word gives us truth and correction (John 17:17). We have the opportunity to delight in the Lord and to worship and thank Him (Psalm 29:2).  Those are just a few of the reasons.  God will meet you where you are. In the bathroom, in the car, and even at Target. Start small, a few minutes each day. Grab your Bible and/or a devotional and meet with God.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

 

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Separating the Sin from the Sinner

13 Jul

We have come to a place where we automatically assume because something is lawful it must also be moral.  Morality has changed a great deal just even in my lifetime (35 years). We, for some reason, think that if we wrap sin in pretty paper with a shiny bow and throw a party for it, it somehow changes how humanity and God sees it.  Because one is acting within law they automatically assume they are “a good person”(which is subjective without the moral parameters given to us by God). There has been a drastic culture change and it just isn’t within the secular world but also within the lives of believers. We are challenging people to redefine what God already defined. I sit in church and see just as much cleavage, thigh, and backside as one would see at the beach. Many Pastors and churches are riding the worldly train looking to attract new members by going against the very word of God-perverting the Bible in ways to make sin irrelevant to ones salvation. We have caved under pressure and are afraid of defending the word of God because we covet the love of man more than the Son of Man.

We have to learn to separate the sin from the sinner.  We can love and support people without celebrating their sin. James 5:19-20 says-  My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back,  you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

Of course I understand not everyone is a believer but we as Christians need to live a life that reflects God’s will toward them. For example in Colossians 4:5-6 it says-“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone”.  When we are asked, we need to be ready with an answer and do it in such a way that conveys truth, gentleness, and respect.  Titus 2:1 says-“You must teach what is in accord to sound doctrine”. Their are many other verses dealing directly with false doctrine. When we sugar coat, add, or purposely misinterpret for gain Titus 1:11 says it well-“They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach–and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

I know the new popular slogan is “I want to be on the right side of history”.  While that might bring worldly pleasure, I would much rather be on “the right side of eternity”.

Love everyone fiercely, be the first to offer encouragement, and always speak the truth in love.  Let’s be bold for Jesus!

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

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Teaching our Children to Have a Servant’s Heart

2 Jul

More than anything else I want my children to have a servant’s heart and to have empathy for those who are lost and hurting. I want their eyes to be open to see that life doesn’t revolve around them but life could be better for someone because of them. To serve in the name and love of God and not in the name of their ego and pride. To serve knowing their eternal reward is far better than any worldly award or recognition (Knowing it is by grace they are saved not works-Ephesians 2:8). To put all selfish desires aside, religious beliefs, social class, racial class, and any other worldly obstacle aside and love because He loved us first ( 1 John 4:19). To teach them to be ready to give their coat, to bandage a wound, to give a hug, to offer encouragement, to offer a prayer, a listening ear, a strong back, but mostly be ready to tell of their Savior and the great gift of salvation He brings (Proverbs 11:24-25, John 3:16).

How, in the midst of an entitled culture do I do this? First, and most important, I need to be in the word and in prayer. Second, I don’t indulge every whim and fancy of my children. A gift then becomes a real surprise, welcomed with true gratitude. We discern the difference between want and need and they are learning to appreciate a job well done. Lastly, practice what you preach. Your children do as they see not as they hear.

I am a work in progress, always! I fail more than I succeed. I just pray that in the middle of my shortcomings, they see the true intentions and through that, I pray, compassion sprouts.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

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This is not Heaven

1 Jul

“The song of the whippoorwill. Let her sing. Let her sing in the dark. let her sing at the dawn. Let her song remind you that you were not made for this place and that there is a place just for you. But until then, be realistic. Lower your expectations of earth. This is not heaven, so don’t expect it to be.”

~Max Lucado~

I just now read that. I had to stop and read it a dozen times. As I sat quietly looking this over, this thought came to my mind-“Will what you sow now be worth reaping in the future?” In Galatians 6:7-10 it says that “for the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

When we live for worldly things it creates turmoil and misery in our lives, well, actually our soul.  When we give in to the lusty appetites of our flesh our only gift is endless disappointment.  But, when we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit we reap everlasting life.

It is hard to comprehend sometimes. We are fallen and of the flesh brings immediate gratification. Doing something for eternal value sometimes can be uncomfortable and even painful. I needed the reminder that what I do or don’t do has eternal effects. Is what I’m planting going to have kingdom value for tomorrow and tomorrow’s tomorrow?

Not always, but God reminded tonight to be more mindful of my life and those who pass through it. To plant seeds of truth and life. To look up and remember this is only my temporary home. To find my joy in the Lord and to not make this place heaven because heaven will never let us down.

~Be Blessed and be a Blessing~

Rebecca

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