Where You Lead

It’s Uncomfortable

I realized just today that God doesn’t want me to get too comfortable. When I’m comfortable, I get lazy. I take Him for granted. I forget to praise Him or to work for Him. I neglect the only One who never lets me down and who is always by my side.

This morning, I delayed my prayers while I relaxed and enjoyed the quiet morning. I occupied my mind with things that weren’t important so I could just “chill.” I procrastinated away a few hours when God shook me. Discomfort set in and I knew He was wanting my attention, just as I am always requesting His.

So I prayed. I meditated. I was still while I waited to hear His word. That’s when I realized that every single day, every moment even, must be dedicated to my Lord. I have to force myself to step out of that easy, comfortable place and be bold for Him.

Doing His work is not easy. It takes courage to do the right thing. The right thing is often uncomfortable, but it’s always worth it. The blessings that He bestows are equal to the discomfort that we willingly accept in His name.

Hope

For it was by hope that were were saved; but if we see what we hope for, then it is not really hope. For who hopes for something he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

All those words to get to that one word that makes me wince: patience. We are a society of instant gratification. We want it now and we know how to make that happen. Is it any wonder that we get frustrated and lose hope when God doesn’t give us the answer we want when we want it?

These past two weeks, I’ve struggled with patience. I’ve prayed and pleaded with God to make my situation right. I suppose you could say I’ve been a nag. I’m not sure if God’s intention was to teach me patience or if there’s some other reason for the waiting. I do know that in some odd way, waiting has been good. Waiting and wanting and praying and hoping have brought me closer to my Lord and have strengthened my faith.

Don’t get me wrong, this hasn’t been an easy journey. I threatened God at one point, telling Him I was going to give up on Him. I cussed Him out in a moment of despair, too. I’m sure that isn’t what God wanted from me but I think He’d rather I scream at Him than ignore Him. And since God sees what is in my heart, I know that He saw the anguish that was there.

I’ve realized, too, that through all the turmoil these past weeks, God has been right by side, holding me in His arms and keeping my hope alive. Despite my rollercoaster emotions, I never stopped hoping for an answer.

Even now, as we approach the two week mark of this family crisis, my hope is still in my Lord.

Daily Life

Impress [these commandments] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Deuteronomy 6:7

I have 6 children, ranging in age from 29 to 11. The way I parented at 20 is very different from the way I parented at 35. I made mistakes and I learned. I learned that it wasn’t enough to take my kids to church on Sunday then behave badly the rest of the week.

It is so important that our children have the opportunity to see us putting into action the lessons we attempt to teach them. If we tell our children that it is wrong to seek revenge on someone, then we must be willing to walk away from the temptation to hurt those who hurt us. It isn’t enough to tell our kids to always tell the truth; they must hear us telling the truth even when it would be easier to fib.

Most important, if we tell our children to treat others as Jesus would, then we must also treat others kindly. Whether that means smiling at the neighbor who calls the police on your children when their ball goes in her yard or refraining from yelling unkind words to the driver who cuts you off in traffic (my personal challenge), behaving in a Christ-like way goes so much farther than simply telling our children how to behave.

Every day, there are opportunities to show our children how a Christian behaves. Every days we are presented with chances to allow our actions to speak to our children. Let’s remember that our children are watching and learning. Let’s teach them constantly, how to live as Christ has instructed us.

Live To Serve

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.

Ephesians 6:7

I’ve already reflected on serving others. Seems there isn’t much more to say about it. But there is. This passage says so much about serving.

It isn’t enough that we serve others, we must do so “wholeheartedly.” We must serve others as if we were serving the Lord! Imagine that. Imagine how differently we’d serve if it were the Lord and not just some person.

For example, it isn’t enough to force a smile as we offer our place in line to the frenzied mother with the whining toddler and an overflowing shopping cart. Rather, we should lovingly and with genuine joy, offer our place to the mother as we try to help her unload her cart. Perhaps a pat on the hand and a sincere smile of understanding will make the next hour go a little smoother for her. If she were our Lord rather than just some woman with a screaming brat, how would we respond to her? Yeah, that’s how we should respond – as if she were our Lord.

I’ve been trying to serve others, putting Jesus first and those around me second. Now I need to take my service to the next level. I must serve with true Joy, as if each person I meet is Jesus Christ. I must serve others the same way I’d serve my Lord.

Join me?

Priority Adjustment

Command those who are rich in this present world not be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

1 Timothy 6:17

God blesses some with much wealth. That’s fine. The problem is when wealth becomes more important than God. The problem is when wealth becomes God.

God’s blessings in our lives are intended to be shared. When we don’t share, when we hoard, might it be a lack of trust in God? When we have a little extra or a lot extra, do we keep a portion as “cushion” just in case something comes up? I’m guilty of that. I have money set aside that I use only for emergencies. And I’ve noticed something.

No matter how much I set aside, something comes up that requires just that amount of money. Interestingly, it usually happens shortly after I neglect to share it with someone who needs help. I reason at the time that I can’t let my cushion get too low, and that I’m being responsible for my family. The truth is, that cushion doesn’t protect my family, God does. That little bit of money can be wiped out in a heartbeat – and often is.

I really need to stop relying on money and start trusting God. Money is gone in a flash but God never leaves my side. God will provide. He always does.

Real Wisdom

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 3:13

Humility comes from wisdom, huh? There’s a thought I need consider for a little while. I’m not sure why but I’d never really associated those two qualities. Now that I really think about it, I realize that the people I know who I consider truly wise – not simply “smart” – are also humble.

The opposite of a wise person, I suppose, would be a fool. None of us want to be a fool. It’s difficult, though, to look at ourselves through someone else’s eyes so I have to wonder how many times my lack of humility made me a fool in the eyes of others? Given my struggle with humility, I’d guess plenty of times!

I have to remember that when I do something for someone else, I need to keep quiet about it. I must not announce it to anyone. I must not pat myself on the back for being generous or good. I must remember, also, that I don’t need to be the best or get the most attention. Helping and giving is joy on its own.

Most important I must remember that when I succeed, it is only by the grace of God. Everything I accomplish is His work, His goodness, His blessings. Humility means understanding that without God, I am nothing. Humility means that when I am able to serve others, that is God’s gift to me.

Let’s pray today that we have the opportunity to serve and remember to praise God for the opportunity. Let’s serve and give with humility so that are lives are led by true wisdom.

Serving Whom?

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.

1 Corinthians 4:3-4

Whose opinion do you value? For whom do you live your life?

We are each responsible for following God’s word and being true to Him. We are not beholden to anyone else. While we are instructed to honor our parents and we vow to love our spouses, these are not the people who will judge us or whose approval we should seek. Only God has the power to judge us. Our only concern should be that we please Him.

I remember once chatting with a friend and caught myself more than once passing judgment on someone we both knew. I realized then that I had stepped over a line and that I really had no right to judge any other person, not having insight into their hearts or minds. At that thought, I corrected myself and said, “I guess I’m lucky that God will judge me, and not my neighbors, huh?” My friend understood.

Let’s all remember today that we need to please only God. Let’s leave the judgments to Him so that we can concentrate on simply following him and doing His work.

Choose Your Path

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2

Remember when you were a kid and your mom told you that you’d be judged by the company that you keep? If you’re a parent with kids of at least school age, you’ve no doubt advised your own children the same. And if you are the parent of a teen then you probably worry about the kids your child calls “friends.”

And yet, how much time do we spend with people who bring us down spiritually or mock those things that we hold dear? Right now, I am fortunate because I spend time with people who lift me in my spiritual journey but it wasn’t always the case. For a while, I associated online with a group of adults who were not uplifting at all. Rather than walking away, I tried to fit in and appease them. It only served to bring me down. I had to walk away.

Even as adults we need to be cautious about those with whom we associate. Anyone we call “friend” should bring us closer to God and encourage our spiritual path, not try to persuade us away from it. We can’t avoid those who disagree and we have no right to pass judgment on the beliefs of others but those who refuse to respect our beliefs and mock us are not friends.

I’m going to be even more careful about those I call friends and I’m going to be especially grateful for the real friends who lift me up and help me in my walk with the Lord.

Giving Back

Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you.

Deuteronomy 16:17

Why is this so hard? Why do I resist? I have no problem giving praise and thanks to God. I’ve gotten in the habit of giving God credit for the good things in my life. I give to my family. So why do I resist giving a percentage of my blessings to God?

So many times I’ve worried about finances and prayed for God’s blessings to see me through. And God does just that. I have no problem “giving” those blessings to utility companies, grocery stores or even a book store or the girl at the makeup counter. And yet, I delay giving back to God who gives me so much. I delay until I have nothing left to give Him, and I must pray again for Him to bless me.

I’ve heard that when you receive a paycheck, you should pay yourself first. I disagree. First, we should pay God, who makes it all possible. God blesses us with ability and work and way to provide for ourselves and our families. We should give back to Him first. And from now on, I will.

Choose Well

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!

Proverbs 16:16

Seems there’s a theme going on this week, doesn’t it? I think God might be really drilling this lesson into my head. Once again, He reminds us that gold, silver, financial wealth is not the goal. Today He tells us that wisdom and understanding are more important.

Wisdom has nothing to do with intelligence, of course. I tend to see wisdom as something that comes from mistakes or observations of other people’s mistakes. Wisdom, perhaps, goes hand-in-hand with understanding. I remember a quote, not sure who said it, that states “To understand all is to forgive all.”

Naturally, only God understands all, which is why God will forgive all. Yet, we can and should strive to understand and to forgive. To be one who understands God’s word and is open to His wisdom, we open ourselves to forgiveness. In the grand scheme of things, wisdom and understanding will impact who we are so much more than the amount of money we have.

The kind of person we are will remain long after we’ve passed on to eternal life with God. The legacy we leave will be more powerful if it is based on who we are rather than how much wealth we accumulated while here. We can each choose our legacy. I’d rather work to leave a legacy of wisdom and understanding than one of gold and silver. How about you?