Black Friday

I am not a Black Friday shopper.  There, I have admitted it.  Not that I think there is anything wrong with those of you who do Black Friday shop.  I love a deal just as much as the next gal.  And it isn't even the crowds that keep me away, I can handle those.  And while I am TOTALLY not a morning person that isn't the reason I chose to stay home either (although it definitely is a bonus to get to snuggle under my warm blankets until I smell my automatic coffee pot begin to brew its delectable offering!). 

I don't Black Friday shop because very rarely is there something on sale that my family and I really want at a price that we are willing to pay.  When those two things merge on the day after Thanksgiving you will find me patiently waiting in line with the rest of you.  Several years ago I stood in line for a few hours with my sister to purchase the Game Boy that my son had been requesting all year long.  We laughed, we talked with those in line around us and generally enjoyed ourselves.  And I have to say that on the times that I have ventured out I have been pleasantly surprised to NOT witness the chaos that the media tends to portray it as.

There was no pushing or shoving, no people being trampled, and no foul language being shouted angrily.  Now I am not naive enough to believe that this is the case everywhere, as it obviously isn't.  But if you are a follower of Christ, it shouldn't ever be the case for you (and me!).

The book of James was written by Jesus brother.  It is interesting to me that he did not believe that Jesus was God's son before His death and resurrection.  It was only afterwards that James recognized the truth and began to share the news with others.  His book is right up my alley as it tells us how to live as followers.  And I think he may have had a peek at a future Black Friday sale when I wrote the beginning of chapter 4:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. ~James 4:1-3

Can't you just picture him standing in the midst of a full on Black Friday brawl shaking his head in disbelief?  Only, he was talking about a once a year sale.  Instead he was talking about the every day struggles within us - our desire to have a house bigger than our neighbor, a car nicer than our friends, a TV that dwarfs all others, the latest phone, the newest tablet etc. 

You see, we all have passions.  We were built to.  The problem comes when we misdirect our passions to selfish desires.  Galatians 5:24 says those selfish desires, or desires of the flesh, were supposed to die when we gave our life to Christ.  Instead we should be passionate for the things that please Him. 

He wants our passion to be for Him and not ourselves or even other people.  (Colossians 3:23, 1 Corinthians 10:31)  In order to do this we must first spend time getting to know Him.  Pray, study His word, learn all about him for yourself.  Unfortunately just showing up at church once a week and listening to what someone else says about Him isn't going to cut it.  You wouldn't expect to learn all about your spouse or children by listening to what their friends say once a week and then not talking to them the rest of the time would you?  Why do we so often expect it to work with God?

When our passion is for Him, He starts directing us on how to be passionate for others.  It may be that you are called to raise a family, to serve in a shelter, to teach others, to reach out to your neighbor that seems so grumpy.  Or it may be to hand the person beside you in the store the last of THE sale item with a smile on your face.  I can't tell you what He is calling you to, but I can tell you that you won't know if your passion is misdirected.  Happy Black Friday.


*originally published on Coffee with Christ

Costumes

 

Whether your family celebrates Halloween or not, it is hard to miss a hoard of children dressed as everything from princess and pirates to Lego men and weeping angels as they travel around neighborhoods begging for tricks or treats.  For a few hours they get to pretend to be heroes, or villains.  They can forget about homework, grades, and chores and just BE.  And this got me thinking...

We are all wearing costumes.  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a costume is "an outfit worn to create the appearance characteristic of a particular period, person, place, or thing".  Now take a look at this verse from John 3:6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit".  If you have accepted Christ, you are no longer flesh, but spirit.  Hebrews 13:14 reminds us that this is not our home.  So follow me here.  We who are saved by grace are wearing a costume and wandering the neighborhood until we go home.

That leaves us with a myriad of costume choices.  Fortunately, God has some suggestions for us.  Ephesians 4:22-24 encourages us to shed our old costume and instead put on a new one.  One that is in the likeness of God.  Ephesians 6:10-18 reminds us that while we are here in this world we aren't safe and as a result we need to put on our armor to protect and defend ourselves.  Colossians 3:12-15 gives us a list of things to put on as well: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness and love.   And the suggestions don't stop here.

God's word is full of advice about how we should navigate this world, if we just take the time to read it.  Instead we tend to be so focused on gathering the treats and avoiding the tricks that we neglect the instructions our Father has given us before He sent us out.  This Halloween I encourage you to take some time to consult with Him.  Trust me in that the costume He would have you to wear really is flame retardant! 

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

Bondage....it's not what you think!

My laptop is on the fritz.  Perhaps because my son accidentally knocked it over and it fell on the floor.  Maybe due to it's age (I have had it 3+ years and it is a refurb).  What I can tell you is that during this past week I have come to realize that I may have a small computer addiction.

I found myself frequently reaching for my laptop during downtime so I could just browse through Facebook to see what was going on.  It didn't happen just once or twice - but several times throughout the day.  I was forced to stop and examine just how much time I spend on mindless social media interactions.....and I am ashamed to admit that it is more time than I am comfortable with.

The irony is that my husband and I decided to limit the screen time for our children.  We were concerned that they would spend so much time on a computer or game screen that they would miss real world experiences.  And somehow I missed the lesson and became the example.

During my Bible readings this week God really drove this point home with the verse from 2 Peter chapter 2.  It says:

for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage (verse 19)

God whispered to my heart that sometimes our enemy disguises himself in order to overcome us.  In my case, I was being overcome with a false sense of camaraderie with others.  Now don't get me wrong, Facebook and other social media tools can be a wonderful communication tool (thanks so much to those of you who are following us!) and way to keep in touch.  My problem was a result of too much of a good thing becoming a bad thing.  ANYTHING that pulls us away from God becomes a bad thing, and screen time was not only pulling me away from God, but was pulling me away from the things God had laid on my heart to do.

I was getting up in the morning and rather than opening my Bible I was opening my Facebook app.  I would be on the computer planning for the upcoming home school year and then get sidetracked when I "quickly" checked my Facebook.  I would log in to Pinterest to pull up a recipe and find myself browsing other pins instead.  And the next thing I would know my husband was home, my kids were hungry and I hadn't managed to turn on the stove.  I would pull out my knitting needles to create an item to donate to my favorite charity only to find myself on my favorite pattern site browsing endlessly for that perfect pattern....that I never managed to get started on before the sun went down.

The good news is that bondage can be a good thing too - in the right circumstances.  It is just a matter of who or what you allow to control you.  The thing is, about 15 years ago I willingly submitted control of my life to Jesus.  Over the last 15 years I have had to stop and examine myself to see where I had given that control to something or someone else instead several times.  It reminds me of Paul who said, "I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate". (Romans 7:15)  I don't want to be brought into bondage by anything or anyone other than Jesus.  But that requires me to daily submit and draw close to God.  Fortunately, when I do that He promises to draw close to me as well.  (James 4:8)

So, for now, it's bye-bye screen time as I refocus.

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

Bound Together

“Fear not, be glad and rejoice. For the LORD will do great things.” Joel 2:21 

I don’t know about you, but for me these last several weeks have been hard.  Social media has blown up with opinions on both sides of the "Love Wins" issue, and some harsh words have flown - both from those who support and oppose the decision.  I have at times been very disappointed with the Christian community during all of this.  You see, sometimes it is easy to forget that our enemy isn't flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil.  (Ephesians 6:12)  Sometimes it is easier to take a stand against those who are held captive to sin rather than against the one who holds them captive....after all, those caught in sin are easier to see and confront.

I have been trying to remember this when others talk to me about my opinions on the subject, but honestly it is difficult to answer.  I worry, am I going to say the right things? Am I going to honor God in my actions? Is this what I am supposed to be doing or saying? It can be overwhelming at times.

 Joel prophesied to a nation that hungered for God, even if they didn’t know it. The times were dark and the enemy was near.  Yet Joel reminded them of just how much they needed to say “yes” to Him, that God had not turned His back on them. I feel like we are standing in a similar place. We stand in a world that hungers for all that God offers - love, acceptance, compassion - and yet they often do not understand or even know that it is being offered to them.  They face an enemy that they can not defeat alone and don't realize that they don't have to.

We, as followers of Jesus,  need to remember who is in control.  We need to take to heart the words of Joel.  He tells us that we must return to God with all of our heart (Joel 2:12).  He encourages us to trust in the Lord, because He can and will do great things.  This word “great” in Hebrew is gadal which can also be translated as "to cause to grow". Gesenius’s Lexicon defines it as “to twist together, to bind together.” I find that comforting. The Lord will cause us to grow, bound together with Him. I don’t know about you, but I want to grow bound to Him, and I want to help others to grow that way too!

So perhaps we need to stop lamenting the law and start reaching out and sharing how love really wins, through a relationship with Jesus.  Maybe it is time to stop pointing a finger of condemnation and instead extend our arms in love.  That doesn't mean accept their sin, but it does mean that we realize that God loves them just as much as He loves us - despite ALL of OUR sins.  It is through love that we can lead others to be grafted into God's family.  It is through love that we can grow.  And it is through love that we can be bound together as His people.  THAT is how love truly wins.

*originally published at Coffee with Christ

Drowning?

My youngest daughter started swim lessons this week.  It is her second year, and to be honest I almost didn't sign her up.  By the end of summer last year she was jumping from the diving board and swimming to the side of the pool after a short confidence break in my arms once she surfaced from the dive.  This year, however, it was as if she had never swam before.

Our first visit to the pool I asked her to stay where she could touch until I got everything settled and could get in with her.  She got a little overconfident and swam out to where she could just barely touch, and her feet slipped out from under her.  She instantly panicked.  I saw it on her face as I was entering the pool.  I began to push through the crowd to get to her as I saw her bob in the water as she attempted to right herself.  It lasted about 5 seconds but it was enough to convince her she could no longer swim.  I spent the day trying to restore her confidence but by the time we left I stopped at the lifeguard table and added her name to the swim lessons list.

This past Monday I saw this video popping up all over social media about the dangers of drowning.  In a lot of cases a drowning person doesn't LOOK like a drowning person.  To the casual observer it just looks like a kid splashing around in the pool.  The adults around my daughter, the ones right beside her had no idea she was struggling.  It's a scary thought for those of us with kids, but then God laid another thought on my heart...

In this world we are surrounded by people who are drowning, and more often than not we don't even recognize that they are in trouble much less reach out a hand to help.  I am not talking about the obvious people, those who are homeless, living a lifestyle that is blatantly opposed to God, addicted.  While all of those people are drowning in their sins, I was reminded that there are many who appear to be okay and yet they are still struggling to inhale the breath of life.  These are the people that seem to be "ok".  The person you work with, the cashier that is scanning your groceries, the neighbor with a newborn baby and a husband that works long hours, the single father struggling to make ends meet and still be there for his kids.

We are surrounded by people who just need to know they aren't alone, people that thirst for a kind word or a helping hand.  And yet we, who are called to love them, often barely recognize them, much less reach out to help them.  It is easy when you are "in the pool" to shift focus to those who are "yours".  After all, you know them and love them.  But Jesus reminds us that our calling is to care for more than just those who are in our inner circle, but to care for all his children.

This first begins with those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. (Romans 12:13, Romans 15:1, Galatians 6:2)  But beyond that, we are called to care for those in the world.  Did you know that of the 132 intimate contacts between Jesus and individuals in the Bible, 122 of them occurred either when Jesus went to them or while He was on His way somewhere?  In other words, Jesus met the people who needed Him most where they were.  He didn't require them to come to Him, or to visit the temple or synagogue.  He knew the people in the world were drowning, and just like a drowning person in the water they needed to be rescued.  We don't expect a drowning person to go to the lifeguard stand and request help.  Why do we expect the people of the world to do any differently?

So today I encourage you to look around you for those who are drowning and offer some help.  What does this look like?  Sometimes it just means to smile at the cashier and really see them while they scan your groceries.  Others times it may mean noticing the mom in the beat up car with three kids in the backseat who is only putting $5 in the gas tank and anonymously paying to fill the tank for her.  Other times it may mean just listening to someone, just being there for them.  And maybe, just maybe a door will open for you to tell them about Jesus.  But first you have to love them.  After all, you don't give swim lessons while a person is drowning.  First you address the immediate need.

*originally published at Coffee with Christ

Supplements

I don't know about you, but I take a vitamin supplement every day. My food choices aren't always great and it is often a struggle for me to eat the recommended daily amount of vegetables; I'm pretty selective about which ones I like and very confident that I am not eating the ones I don't. So I take a vitamin every day to help fill in the gaps that my diet leaves.

God gives us a list of supplements to fill our faith gaps as well. We don't always have the faith that we should. Sometimes fears and doubts get in the way and cause us to question and worry. Fortunately God has a plan for us to supplement our faith. In 2 Peter 1:5-7 He lays it all out for us:

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. (ESV)

The verses preceding this tell us that we are to do this because God has given us all that we need and allowed us to share in His nature.  His gifts are not given to us IF we supplement our faith.  The gifts have already been bought and paid for (thank you Jesus!).  Rather Peter is making that point that while our faith saves us (Ephesians 2:8), it should motivate us to want to do something in return.  And in the doing sometimes our faith needs some gaps filled in because we aren't feeding our faith properly, and the list he provides helps us to strengthen the health of our spiritual life - our faith.  So let's take a look at these things.

Virtue is an outward show of our moral values.  This is where we walk the walk and talk the talk.  God says don't steal, so we don't.  We know lying is wrong so we choose to tell the truth in love instead.  It is possible to behave virtuously and not have faith, but if you have truly have faith it is impossible to not have virtue as well.

Knowledge is gained by actively studying God and His word.  You can have a set of morals based upon your understanding of God, but you have to take the time to know Him, to understand His character.  Not everything we encounter in this life will have a neat Bible verse to turn to.  Sometimes we have to make decisions based upon what we know of God and his character.  That is why knowledge is so important.

Self-Control, admittedly this is one I struggle with.  Our faith sometimes will require us to react in a way counter to our instincts.  When we learn to control those instincts and choose to react according to our virtue and knowledge instead we give God room to work.  We also set an example for those around us of what it is to live what Jesus preached.  (Matthew 5:38-42)

Steadfastness is the choice to stand firm, even when it is easier give in.  This is especially important in the world we live in now.  When we are told at every corner that life is about our personal happiness, having more than our neighbor, and that anything we desire should be allowed it is hard to stand up as the dissenting voice.  However, it is so important to not waver.  When we remain resolute in Jesus we are choosing the less traveled, but correct path.  (Matthew 7:13-14)

Godliness, or devotion to God that results in a life that is pleasing to Him, is something I strive for daily.  When we keep this goal at the forefront of our mind it will affect every aspect of our lives.  Living a life for God is to trust in who He says He is and to devote yourself to Him.  That trust helps to fill in the gaps when our faith wavers, when we don't understand why things are happening we can choose to continue living our lives for Him because we know He has our best interest at heart, that He loves us.

Brotherly love, or phileo, is to feel affection for others.  This is where we open our eyes to those around us and choose to really see them.  All of the previous "supplements" have been about personal growth.  This one asks us to look outside ourselves and start looking at people the way Jesus does.  They may not be perfect, but they are our brothers and sisters trying to make it through this world just like we are.  Some are even worse off, because they don't know they aren't alone on this journey; they haven't met Jesus yet.  Here we are called to not only recognize them but to care about them.  And when you start caring you get a glimpse of God's love in a special way.  THAT is a definite faith boost.

And finally there is LOVE, real, agape love.  This is more than just an emotional response or an affection for another.  This is a conscious choice to put others before yourself, to consider their needs more important than your own.  When we get this right it is as if we are walking with God.  Next to loving Him, this is the most important thing we can do.  (Matthew 22:36-40)

So today I ask you, have you taken your supplements?  Maybe you should!

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

When you are walking in the fire

"So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames." ~Daniel 3:23

I was recently watching a documentary with my daughters about two college boys who left the comforts of home to spend two months living in a third world country on an average third world salary.  While that alone was eye opening, I was drawn to the story of one man, 24 years old with a wife, 3 children and elderly family members he was responsible for.  This family lived in what most of us here in the U.S. would consider deplorable conditions.

They all lived in a one room home.  He was among the "rich" in his community because he had a job cleaning in a local hotel and thus had a steady, although meager, income.  They had saved and been able to purchase a stove for the house rather than cook over an open fire but school for their children was not something they could afford at $25 per child.  Despite all of the difficulties, and yes he did recognize and struggle with the difficulties, he appeared to be always cheerful.  He usually had a smile on his face and was quick to help those in his community with not only knowledge, or physical help, but even financially - despite the burden it put on his own family.  And I wondered....how was this man - who had so little in the world - able to maintain that joy?

Many of you know the story of Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego;  Three young men taken captive from their homeland with Daniel to go live in Babylon.  They were trained up in the ways of the people and expected to serve the royalty.  These boys remained strong in their faith and true to God despite all they were surrounded with.  When things got hard, when they faced the fires, they didn't waver.  This, I think, is where so many of us fail - myself included.

When things get hot, when we face the fire, we begin to question God.  We begin to shake our fist or bow our heads in defeat.  Whereas Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego stood tall and declared that either God would save them, because they knew it was within His power to do so, or He wouldn't. (Daniel 3:17-18) Either way they would not be swayed from doing what they knew God had asked of them.  WOW!  Personally this is the point that I am questioning if I really heard Him.  After all, it wouldn't be so difficult if I were walking the path He chose, would it?

The king then had them bound and tossed into the fire.  Not just any fire, but one that was so hot that when they were being led to it, their guards bust into flames.  (Daniel 3:22)  This was a trial that even the strongest person, without God, could not withstand and yet these three boys had accepted their fate.  In this instance, God chose to display His power to those observing.

“Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!" ~Daniel 3:25

The faith that these young men had not only saved them from the fire, it released them from their bonds.  I believe that this is the mystery of the fullness of joy that God calls us to.  (Psalm 16:11)  Sometimes, the fires we are called to walk through  are there to unbind us from the things that keep us captive.  So I ask you, what keeps you bound today?  Is it a fixation on the things of this world?  Are you tied up by the pursuit of things? of money? of prestige?  If you feel like you are in the fire, perhaps you need to examine yourself and see if God is trying to release you from bondage. If so, is your faith strong enough to willingly step into the furnace?

Maybe, this is what the man in the third world country had discovered.  

*originally posted on Coffee with Christ